1
as in imprisonment
the state of being held in lawful custody
he's been in detention since the arrest
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in delay
an instance or period of being prevented from going about one's business
the detention at the airport security checkpoint was brief, but because he was running late, it caused him to miss his flight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of detention
Dozens of Cuban detainees being held at the Krome detention center launched a protest Thursday morning inside the immigration facility in southwest Miami-Dade, saying they are fed up with prolonged detention.
—
Claire Healy, Miami Herald, 5 June 2025
More immigration news: A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to provide hundreds of migrants sent to a maximum security prison in El Salvador with opportunities to challenge their detentions and removals under the Alien Enemies Act.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 5 June 2025
Bryant’s decision comes as a major victory for Leavenworth two weeks after U.S. District Court Judge Toby Crouse threw out the city’s lawsuit, rejecting a similar request to block detentions until CoreCivic obtained permission to operate.
—Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 4 June 2025
He was scheduled to appear at a detention hearing Saturday.
—Deanese Williams-Harris, Chicago Tribune, 24 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for detention
Claire Healy, Miami Herald, 5 June 2025
More immigration news: A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to provide hundreds of migrants sent to a maximum security prison in El Salvador with opportunities to challenge their detentions and removals under the Alien Enemies Act.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 5 June 2025
Bryant’s decision comes as a major victory for Leavenworth two weeks after U.S. District Court Judge Toby Crouse threw out the city’s lawsuit, rejecting a similar request to block detentions until CoreCivic obtained permission to operate.
—Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 4 June 2025
He was scheduled to appear at a detention hearing Saturday.
—Deanese Williams-Harris, Chicago Tribune, 24 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for detention
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detention
Noun
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After a brief rain delay in the bottom of the eighth inning, the Hurricanes again couldn’t string together any hits to cut into the Cardinals’ lead.—
Cameron Priester,
Sun Sentinel,
7 June 2025
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Last year, Florida’s Department of Health also experienced a breach that caused death certificate delays and led to thousands of records, including HIV test results, detailed doctors notes and immunization and virus testing records ending up on the dark web.—
Michelle Marchante,
Miami Herald,
6 June 2025
Noun
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Smith's journey from incarceration to entrepreneurship and advocacy serves as a testament to the power of redemption and the impact one individual can have on systemic change.—
Walter Pavlo,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
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An analysis of the data reveals the sheer scale of youth incarceration in adult jails in Maryland.—
Rachel Baye,
NPR,
5 June 2025
Noun
-
In healthcare, Canadian hospitals are experiencing record wait times.—
Andy J. Semotiuk,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2025
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Additionally, average call wait times have risen from just over an hour to 86 minutes this year, reaching a peak of 112 minutes in January following the passage of the Social Security Fairness Act.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Detention.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detention. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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