arrest 1 of 2

verb

ə-ˈrest How to pronounce arrest (audio)
Definition of arrestnext
1
as in to seize
to take or keep under one's control by authority of law the inept robber was promptly arrested by the off-duty policeman he had tried to hold up

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to stop
to bring (something) to a standstill cryogenics is based on the idea that extreme cold can almost arrest molecular motion

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to fascinate
to hold the attention of as if by a spell the sight of the daredevil walking a tightrope between high-rises arrested area pedestrians and motorists alike

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arrest

2 of 2

noun

1
as in arrestment
the act of taking into one's control by authority of law there have been only two arrests for driving while intoxicated in the county in the last six months

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2
as in cessation
the stopping of a process or activity "hemostasis" is the technical term for arrest of bleeding

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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 arrest
Verb
The records indicate Himick also was arrested that day but do not show where. — Danny Robbins, AJC.com, 23 Oct. 2026 The couple was in the process of being arrested when the man bit a Charlotte firefighter called to the home, and took an officer’s metal baton and swung it at him, according to an arrest warrant. — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 23 Oct. 2026
Noun
Denver Broncos outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper was back practicing with the team Wednesday after his leave due to an arrest for domestic violence in June. — Jack Lowenstein, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026 Watt got bumped up to the top booth this season after Tony Romo, who had been the network’s lead game analyst since 2017, was placed on indefinite leave following his July arrest on suspicion of operating a vehicle while intoxicated. — Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for arrest
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arrest
  1. seize
  2. stop
  3. fascinate
  4. raid
  5. cessation
  6. apprehend
  7. halt
  8. enchant
Verb
  • Experts worry federal law enforcement could potentially use those false claims — or others generated this year — as pretext to try to seize ballots during the counting period, or interfere in the process in some other way.
    — Miles Parks, NPR, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Those weaknesses could enable cybercriminals to seize control of unprotected website servers, install malware, pilfer customer data and even take sites down completely.
    — Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of seize
Verb
  • Luigi Carbone, Pope Leo XIV's physician, said the pontiff's recovery from lung cancer surgery won't stop plans for a visit to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru involving a dozen flights and two helicopter rides to high altitudes.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Another to stop solving problems his team brings him and teach them to solve it instead.
    — Ben Plomion, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of stop
Verb
  • Amid all the con artists and fraudsters this century has produced, Holmes is the one who fascinates us the most.
    — Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • He’s always been obsessed with historic epochs like the Civil War and World War II and fascinated with the post-war boom and the sojourns of Route 66.
    — Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of fascinate
Noun
  • Five dolphins died in less than eight months, sparking public outrage, raids by law enforcement and a criminal investigation.
    — Valerie Greene, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
  • This housing raid would put roughly 150,000 homes under the government’s control — about seven percent of Berlin’s housing supply — in what would no doubt be a doomed effort to curb rising rents.
    — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of raid
Noun
  • Abrupt cessation of this class can even trigger a rebound worse than baseline.
    — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Similarly, access to smoking-cessation treatment and harm-reduction resources varies substantially from country to country.
    — Emma Fenske, The Conversation, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of cessation
Verb
  • He was apprehended and detained by police, according to court records.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
  • To date, the gang-fighting force has apprehended 26 people, including a minor who has been transferred to a special center; the others were handed over to Haitian authorities, per the protocol the force works under, within 48 hours of their arrest.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of apprehend
Verb
  • After fumbling twice in Michigan State territory, halting offensive momentum, the Bruins were trailing going into the second quarter and tied 7-7 with three minutes left in the second quarter.
    — Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The guests seemed less upset by the death than by the news that their infusions would be halted.
    — D. T. Max, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of halt
Verb
  • The boy was a soccer player who was enchanted by the idea of camping in the woods; Charlotte was bright and cheery, sometimes applying glitter to her father’s mustache.
    — Abe Streep, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Harvest markets and ghostly performances also enchant—not to mention a Halloween express to convey guests.
    — Michelle Mastro, Midwest Living, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of enchant

Browse Nearby Words

arrears
arrest
arrested
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Cite this Entry

“Arrest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arrest. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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