detracts

verb

present tense third-person singular of detract
as in distracts
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 detracts If the expansion detracts somehow from the SARA cult fever, the co-owners are OK with that. — Senior Wine Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 15 June 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detracts
  1. distracts
  2. diverts
Verb
  • Theranos whistleblower Tyler Shultz and Bad Blood author John Carreyrou have both weighed in, and Fortune has questioned whether her new persona distracts from the real story.
    — Bilin Lin, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Similarly, Sudan hopes that internal conflict in Ethiopia distracts Addis from its support of the rapid support forces militia in Sudan’s war.
    — Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of distracts
Verb
  • Five days earlier, the Republican lawmaker had proposed to limit payouts from a voucher program that diverts public tax dollars to private education.
    — Henry Culvyhouse, ProPublica, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Prop 137 diverts money from the state's current sales tax on sporting goods to conservation, wildfire risk mitigation and outdoor recreation programs.
    — Shaun Boyd, CBS News, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of diverts

Browse Nearby Words

detractors
detracts
detrain
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Cite this Entry

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

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