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

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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 detract While some surfaces feel suitably premium, harder plastics around the centre console and lower cabin areas detract slightly from the otherwise upmarket impression. — Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 18 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
  • Now, that excess gets diverted into the Austerlitz basin instead, where it’s held deep underground until the weather clears, then pumped gradually to treatment plants outside the city.
    — Camille Knight, CNN Money, 4 July 2026
  • Hotels are offering 50% discounts, schools, mosques and sports halls have been prepared to house mourners, and bus and rail networks are being diverted to serve the main events.
    — Parisa Hafezi, USA Today, 3 July 2026
Definition of divert
Verb
  • The man’s wife was thrown off their Harley, while the red Honda motorcycle hit the man’s right leg.
    — Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 4 July 2026
  • How about that one guy who gets thrown off the roof like a ragdoll?
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026
Definition of throw off

Browse Nearby Words

detours
detract
detracted
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Cite this Entry

“Detract.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detract. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on detract

Nglish: Translation of detract for Spanish Speakers

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