detained 1 of 2

adjective

as in delayed

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detained

2 of 2

verb

past tense of detain
1
as in arrested
to take or keep (someone) in confinement by authority of law Police detained the suspect.

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2
as in slowed
to keep (someone or something) from proceeding or progressing She sent word that she had been unavoidably detained. The plane was detained for hours due to inclement weather.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of detained
Verb
While he was arrested and detained, Forrest Welborn emerged more intact. — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2026 Crutchfield appeared in court over the weekend and was detained pending a trial. — Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026 Reed was detained in North Carolina and is expected to be extradition to Maryland. — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 13 Aug. 2026 Elk Grove police detained the man and held his vehicle while Amador County deputies obtained search warrants for the vehicle and the man’s Amador County residence, the Sheriff’s Office said. — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 12 Aug. 2026 Spokane County sheriff’s deputies soon detained a man matching the description. — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 6 Aug. 2026 Both of those individuals, ages 20 and 17, were detained and charged with trespassing, police said. — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 6 Aug. 2026 Meanwhile, detained immigrants and their supporters have raised increasing alarms over medical care provided by ICE. — Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026 Rojas Ortiz, who is 5 months pregnant, has been detained for more than 40 days, her family said. — Laura Romero, ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detained
  1. delayed
  2. arrested
  3. delinquent
  4. apprehended
Adjective
  • Ahead of the commissioners’ discussion and delayed vote, there was a flood of opposition from residents, politicians and voting right groups.
    — Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Aug. 2026
  • The filing is backed by a Phase 3 study that showed the drug resulted in significant improvements in overall survival and progression-free survival over standard chemotherapy, along with delayed worsening of pain and quality of life.
    — Meghana Keshavan, STAT, 23 July 2026
Definition of delayed
Verb
  • An 18-year-old Los Banos resident was arrested on suspicion of murder after a man was found shot to death early Sunday in Turlock, police said.
    — Cecilio Padilla, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Manuel Hernandez, 46, of Manhattan, was arrested early Sunday and charged with 13 counts of reckless endangerment, just hours after the boat carrying 14 people overturned in New York Harbor, the New York Police Department said.
    — Gloria Pazmino, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of arrested
Adjective
  • But so dismayed that the state was so delinquent in doing this.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Jackson County also canceled its 2026 delinquent land sale — in which properties significantly behind on their taxes are auctioned off by the county — as property tax policies keep changing.
    — Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of delinquent
Verb
  • Rising antisemitic hate-crime stats suggest the proliferation of deranged bigots terrorizing the Jewish community, some who may go on to commit deadly crimes if they are not apprehended.
    — Rachel Sales, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2026
  • But on Sunday morning, as the couple walked out of their rideshare outside Midway Airport, they were apprehended by federal immigration agents.
    — Laura Rodríguez Presa, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of apprehended

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Cite this Entry

“Detained.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detained. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on detained

Nglish: Translation of detained for Spanish Speakers

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