DETAINER Synonyms: 63 Similar and Opposite Words

detainer

noun

di-ˈtā-nər

Definition of detainer

as in detention

the state of being held in lawful custody keep him in detainer for at least 72 hours

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in appropriation

the unlawful taking or withholding of something from the rightful owner under a guise of authority she filed an action for unlawful detainer of land after nonpayment of rent

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 detainer He was later released on bond and turned over to ICE in Hartford on a detainer. — Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 17 June 2026 On the day of his release, ProPublica found, Hernández had in place what’s known as an immigration detainer, a formal request for law enforcement agencies to hold noncitizens for pickup by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. — Keri Blakinger, ProPublica, 11 June 2026 This indicates that in more than half of the cases, individuals encountered by local police were subsequently subject to federal immigration holds or detainer requests following an arrest or stop. — Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 4 June 2026 At issue in the case was the Boston Trust Act, which prohibits Boston Police and other city departments from cooperating with ICE on civil immigration detainers. — Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 28 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for detainer

Recent Examples of Synonyms for detainer

Noun

In the past, people like Calderón with pending USCIS applications or immigration court cases weren't priorities for detention.

— Sergio Martínez-Beltrán, NPR, 15 Aug. 2026
Hana reported that plainclothes agents confiscated phones and electronic equipment and that Seyedabdollahi was subsequently held in solitary confinement and at an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps intelligence detention facility in Isfahan.

— Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of detention

Noun

In the United States, these efforts should begin with a congressional appropriation of funds to refill and modernize the depleted Strategic Petroleum Reserve, now at its lowest level in nearly five decades.

— Jason Bordoff, Foreign Affairs, 14 Aug. 2026
The Legislature’s two appropriation committees do not hold public votes before advancing or holding back measures on their desk.

— Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of appropriation

Noun

More than once, his white planter friends stood by him in court and kept him from unjust imprisonment and even execution.

— Paul Schullery, Outdoor Life, 13 Aug. 2026
To sleuth out who the culprits are, Murashige lends on the extra-sharp deductive skills of Kanbei, who implored for death rather than imprisonment.

— Randy Myers, Mercury News, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of imprisonment

Noun

The driver of the vehicle was arrested following the seizure of the stash of 369 kilograms (813 pounds) of cocaine on Wednesday, police said, but provided no explanation for the stickers with the image of the golden-haired Norwegian striker.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
The driver of the vehicle was arrested following the seizure of the stash of 469 kilograms (1,034 pounds) of cocaine on Wednesday, police said in a statement.

— CBS News, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of seizure

Noun

The poll, commissioned by the Vera Institute of Justice, a nonprofit working to end mass incarceration, was conducted shortly after ICE agents shot and killed two immigrants during traffic stops in Maine and Texas over the span of six days in July.

— Christopher Cann, USA Today, 9 Aug. 2026
However, just before an August 2025 hearing, the filing states, the families learned Butler would not agree to plead guilty or to incarceration at a juvenile facility after all.

— Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of incarceration

Noun

Encouraged by his son, Michael, Storch held talks over becoming a minority shareholder at Reading alongside fellow American Rob Couhig, before believing a full takeover of Cardiff City was possible following their relegation to League One.

— Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
The United States has a particular responsibility to protect the Afghan women who worked with American institutions, in civil society organizations, or as human rights defenders before the Taliban takeover and have since left Afghanistan.

— Rina Amiri, Foreign Affairs, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of takeover

Noun

Benjamin Harrison’s policy of overseas expansion in search of foreign markets coincided with the desire of the white business class of Hawaii for annexation by the United States.

— Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 Aug. 2026
Commissioners voted 4-1 to approve the annexation and rezoning, but denied the variances.

— Emily McLeod, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of annexation

Browse Nearby Words

detainees

detainer

detainers

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Detainer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detainer. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of detainer

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

zeugma

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes