DETRACTED Synonyms: 13 Similar and Opposite Words

detracted

verb

past tense of detract

as in distracted

to draw the attention or mind to something else numerous typos in the text detract the reader's attention from the novel's intricate plot

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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 detracted To center Jack instead, however, might have detracted too much from his role as an object of warped desire within the house. — David Opie, IndieWire, 15 Feb. 2026 For Loeffler, a 50-year-old father of three kids, those ever-expanding duties demanded too much time and detracted too much attention from the objects of his sports obsessions. — Brooks Kubena, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for detracted

Verb

You’re not distracted by the clients waiting behind you or the sense that someone is watching and waiting for your chair to open up.

— Tiana Randall, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
If it is blocked, both studios could emerge from the litigation having spent a year distracted and constrained while the rest of the industry moved forward.

— Cory Jacobson, HollywoodReporter, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of distracted

Verb

Medical experts say the uproar has diverted focus from an exploding public health threat.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 Aug. 2026
Tax allocation districts are designated areas where a certain amount of property tax revenue growth is diverted away from governments and used to fund specific improvements within that district.

— AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of diverted

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detract

detracted

detracting

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

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Synonyms of detracted

verb

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