DETAIN Synonyms: 145 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'detain' distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of detain are delay , retard , slacken , and slow . While all these words mean "to cause to be late or behind in movement or progress," detain implies a holding back beyond a reasonable or appointed time. // unexpected business had detained her

Q: When is 'delay' a more appropriate choice than 'detain'?

While in some cases nearly identical to detain , delay implies a holding back, usually by interference, from completion or arrival. // bad weather delayed our arrival

Q: In what contexts can 'retard' take the place of 'detain'?

In some situations, the words retard and detain are roughly equivalent. However, retard suggests reduction of speed without actual stopping. // language barriers retarded their progress

Q: When might 'slacken' be a better fit than 'detain'?

Although the words slacken and detain have much in common, slacken suggests an easing up or relaxing of power or effort. // on hot days runners slacken their pace

Q: How do 'slow' and 'slacken' relate to one another, in the sense of 'detain'?

Both slow and slacken also imply a reduction of speed, slow often suggesting deliberate intention. // medication slowed the patient's heart rate

detain

verb

Definition of detain

as in to arrest

to take or keep (someone) in confinement by authority of law Police detained the suspect.

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Dissimilar Words

as in to delay

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.

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word detain distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of detain are delay, retard, slacken, and slow. While all these words mean "to cause to be late or behind in movement or progress," detain implies a holding back beyond a reasonable or appointed time.

unexpected business had detained her

When is delay a more appropriate choice than detain?

While in some cases nearly identical to detain, delay implies a holding back, usually by interference, from completion or arrival.

bad weather delayed our arrival

In what contexts can retard take the place of detain?

In some situations, the words retard and detain are roughly equivalent. However, retard suggests reduction of speed without actual stopping.

language barriers retarded their progress

When might slacken be a better fit than detain?

Although the words slacken and detain have much in common, slacken suggests an easing up or relaxing of power or effort.

on hot days runners slacken their pace

How do slow and slacken relate to one another, in the sense of detain?

Both slow and slacken also imply a reduction of speed, slow often suggesting deliberate intention.

medication slowed the patient's heart rate

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 detain She was detained in Baghouz, Syria, in 2019 by forces opposed to the Islamic State group. — ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026 Agents detained one observer as others blew whistles, yelled and recorded video on their phones. — Whitney Wild, CNN Money, 27 Oct. 2026 Research shows that these stops are disproportionately used to detain Black drivers, undermine the public’s trust in police and create unnecessary police encounters that can turn deadly. — Wendi C. Thomas, ProPublica, 26 Oct. 2026 Machado, who was briefly detained in January 2025 following a protest against autocratic then-President Nicolás Maduro’s swearing-in despite a dubious election victory, went into hiding in Venezuela and emerged in December that year in Norway. — Chad De Guzman, Time, 26 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for detain

Recent Examples of Synonyms for detain

Verb

People in the country longer may have more opportunities to contest their removal while the government typically has greater authority to fast-track deportations for people arrested at the border.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
In April, a US Army soldier was arrested and charged with using confidential information to make $410,000 in Polymarket bets on the timing of the military’s capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

— Jon Brodkin, ArsTechnica, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of arrest

Verb

The tests could easily do the opposite, as people with results suggesting cancer require follow-up testing that overwhelms our healthcare system, potentially delaying diagnoses for people with cancer.

— Torie Bosch, STAT, 24 Oct. 2026
The game was one of many across the Southland delayed or postponed by lightning, particularly in Orange County.

— Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of delay

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

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

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Style

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

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Synonyms of detain

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