DETAINMENTS Synonyms: 45 Similar and Opposite Words

detainments

noun

plural of detainment

as in delays

an instance or period of being prevented from going about one's business the returning vacationers' detainment at the border only lasted a few minutes

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in imprisonments

the state of being held in lawful custody she'll be kept in detainment until the trial if she can't post bail

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 detainments Chicagoans blew whistles and filmed detainments while immigration agents patrolled neighborhoods with military-grade weapons as part of Operation Midway Blitz. — Alex Poppe, Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2026 The detainments would also be very temporary, would only be during the building's office hours, and no one would be detained overnight. — Dennis Valera, CBS News, 3 June 2026 Immigration sweeps peaked in Orange County’s most populous city last summer with at least 30 detainments between mid-June and mid-September, including when federal officers descended several times on car washes and a Home Depot, ending in several deportations. — Victoria Le, Oc Register, 14 Apr. 2026 Hefets’ detainments were part of a national policy toward antisemitism, defined over decades in the shadow of the Holocaust and sharpened recently under the helm of Felix Klein, the first federal commissioner for combating antisemitism. — Shira Li Bartov, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026 Kim is the executive director of Minnesota Voice, a progressive nonprofit dedicated to voter registration, civic engagement and training community organizers, and took a visible role organizing against Immigration end Customs Enforcement detainments during Operation Metro Surge. — Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 4 Mar. 2026 The singer’s tour stop in Minnesota doubled as a benefit concert for Minneapolis nonprofit The Advocates for Human Rights, which has been working to support families affected by ICE’s arrests, detainments and deportations in the city. — Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 23 Feb. 2026 Many of the students who have participated in school walkouts have cited deep personal concerns about how ICE's operations could result in wrongful detainments or violence in their communities. — Cate Charron, IndyStar, 19 Feb. 2026 The Lawrence Police Department did not confirm the detainments. — Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 17 Feb. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for detainments

Noun

Flight delays, unexpected crises, intense periods of business development, or simply the weight of responsibility can all disrupt a leader’s sleep.

— Julian Hayes II, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
However, delays remain a major challenge as shipyards struggle with capacity, materials, and experienced workers.

— Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of delays

Noun

More people know about arbitrary arrests and imprisonments.

— Nick Miller, New York Times, 30 May 2026
Darling pointed to recent high profile imprisonments of Baha’i cousins Peyvand Naimi and Borna Naimi, who have undergone torture to force confessions and face possible death sentences.

— Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 1 May 2026

Definition of imprisonments

Noun

At Ningbo, Gemini services were waiting an average of four to five days, while non-Gemini vessels were facing waits of three to six days, according to Hapag-Lloyd.

— Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 27 Aug. 2026
Stephen Hunt, chief development officer for VRT, told the council that virtually every rider complaint from long waits at the Senior Center to circuitous routes traced back to a lack of funding rather than mismanagement.

— Noah Daly August 20, Idaho Statesman, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of waits

Noun

Among the detentions are more than 7,000 arrests in Florida and 500 in Ohio, two states with populations of Haitians who previously had TPS.

— Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
In 2025, the total jumped to at least 39 arrests, and that number is dwarfed by at least 77 detentions at airports just in July of 2026.

— Shimon Prokupecz, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of detentions

Noun

Part of the Measure J mandate passed by voters in 2020 is to reduce incarcerations by adding more interdictions by substance abuse and mental health counselors, when there’s no weapon involved or violent threat.

— Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 11 Aug. 2026
One 2025 study found that these waivers may be tied to fewer hospitalizations, emergency department visits, and incarcerations among adults with serious mental illness.

— Helen Santoro, Denver Post, 29 June 2026

Definition of incarcerations

Browse Nearby Words

detainment

detainments

detains

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Detainments.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detainments. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of detainments

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

dissonant

Popular in Grammar & Usage

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

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

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

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Games & Quizzes