detract

verb

di-ˈtrakt How to pronounce detract (audio)
Definition of detractnext
as in to divert
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 detract So another winner wouldn’t detract at all from the big show. — Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 8 May 2026 Similarly, the direction—and its corollary, the editing—allows nothing extraneous to detract attention from the script’s meticulous and sturdy construction. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 30 Apr. 2026 An expansion into New Mexico would add oil revenue from the Permian Basin to Texas, adding to its economy and detracting, in turn, from New Mexico's. — Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026 Russia is already profiting from a surge in global energy prices, and could hope that the Mideast war will detract attention from Ukraine, deplete Western arsenals and force NATO allies to reduce military support for Kyiv. — Arkansas Online, 15 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for detract
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detract
  1. divert
  2. throw off
Verb
  • The shenanigans ultimately prove slight but undeniably diverting.
    — Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The $10 million, part of a settlement offered by a company that overcharged Medicaid, was diverted into other hands, starting with the Hope Florida Foundation, the favorite charity of First Lady Casey DeSantis.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of divert
Verb
  • Though the company is still throwing off bundles of cash, the profits aren’t good enough for a ravenous Wall Street, and the blood of 1,000 staff has been let as Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters attempt to change the record.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2026
  • And for a quarterback whose superpower involves shuffling through collapsing pockets, scrambling through squalor, throwing off any and every platform — such a question was warranted.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of throw off

Browse Nearby Words

detours
detract
detracted
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

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

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of grotesque

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All