detained; detaining; detains
1
: to hold or keep in or as if in custody
detained by the police for questioning
2
obsolete
: to keep back (something due) : withhold
3
: to restrain especially from proceeding
was detained by a flat tire
Examples of detain in a Sentence
They were detained by the police for questioning.
He claimed he had been illegally detained.
Unexpected business had detained her.
Recent Examples on the Web
In early 2017, United Nations human rights experts urged authorities to investigate allegations that gay men were being targeted and detained, and local media reported that some had been murdered for their sexuality.
—
Jack Guy, CNN, 8 Apr. 2024
Neither the Orange County Sheriff’s Department nor OCFA immediately provided information on the person who was detained or the cause of the fire.
—Mona Darwish, Orange County Register, 7 Apr. 2024
The police department said that after the suspect was detained near the scene of the Saturday morning shooting, detectives identified him as the same person who was wanted for a shooting that occurred on Feb. 27 in the 2300 block of Baltic Avenue.
—Andrea Chang, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2024
Prosecutors had requested that Vo be detained after the guilty verdict, but the request was denied.
—Louis Casiano, Fox News, 5 Apr. 2024
There are as many as 110 women political prisoners in Cuba, most of them peaceful protesters who were detained after mass anti-government demonstrations on July 11, 2024.
—Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2024
Finnish police detained a 12-year-old student Tuesday on suspicion of fatally shooting a classmate and severely wounding two others, all also 12 years old, at a school in Vantaa, northeast of the capital, Helsinki, police said in a news conference.
—Kate Brady, Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2024
Turki was one of several princes detained in November 2017 by Saudi Arabia’s defacto ruler Mohammed bin Salman, and his current whereabouts are unclear.
—Hugo Miller, Fortune Europe, 2 Apr. 2024
Moreno reportedly received border parole in April 2022 as part of the government's Alternatives to Detention program, which is supposed to track catch-and-release migrants when there is not enough room to detain them.
—Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 28 Mar. 2024
Jack Guy, CNN, 8 Apr. 2024
Neither the Orange County Sheriff’s Department nor OCFA immediately provided information on the person who was detained or the cause of the fire.
—Mona Darwish, Orange County Register, 7 Apr. 2024
The police department said that after the suspect was detained near the scene of the Saturday morning shooting, detectives identified him as the same person who was wanted for a shooting that occurred on Feb. 27 in the 2300 block of Baltic Avenue.
—Andrea Chang, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2024
Prosecutors had requested that Vo be detained after the guilty verdict, but the request was denied.
—Louis Casiano, Fox News, 5 Apr. 2024
There are as many as 110 women political prisoners in Cuba, most of them peaceful protesters who were detained after mass anti-government demonstrations on July 11, 2024.
—Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2024
Finnish police detained a 12-year-old student Tuesday on suspicion of fatally shooting a classmate and severely wounding two others, all also 12 years old, at a school in Vantaa, northeast of the capital, Helsinki, police said in a news conference.
—Kate Brady, Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2024
Turki was one of several princes detained in November 2017 by Saudi Arabia’s defacto ruler Mohammed bin Salman, and his current whereabouts are unclear.
—Hugo Miller, Fortune Europe, 2 Apr. 2024
Moreno reportedly received border parole in April 2022 as part of the government's Alternatives to Detention program, which is supposed to track catch-and-release migrants when there is not enough room to detain them.
—Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 28 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'detain.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Dictionary Entries Near detain
Cite this Entry
“Detain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detain. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
Legal Definition
detain
transitive verb
de·tain
1
: to hold or keep in custody or possession
property wrongfully detained
a juvenile detained in a care facility
2
: to restrain from proceeding
detained the driver and asked to see his license
More from Merriam-Webster on detain
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for detain
Nglish: Translation of detain for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of detain for Arabic Speakers
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