DETAIN in a Sentence

Learn DETAIN from example sentences; some of them are from classic books. These examples are selected from a corpus with 300,000 sentences, including classic works and current mainstream media. Some sentences also link to their contexts.

71 example sentences for DETAIN, such as:

1. Selden roused himself to detain her.
2. I have not the right to detain strangers.
3. They shouted out the names of those detained.
4. She clung to his hand, striving to detain him.
5. The suspect is detained at the police station.

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 Meanings and Examples of DETAIN
Definition Example Sentence Classic Sentence
detain
 v.  keep back or from; withhold; restrain from proceeding; stay or stop; delay
Classic Sentence: (64 in 5 pages)
1  I have not the right to detain strangers.
Candide By Voltaire
Context  Highlight   In XVIII
2  He strives to detain the army, he recalls it to its duty, he insults it, he clings to the rout.
Les Misérables 2 By Victor Hugo
Context  Highlight   In BOOK 1: CHAPTER XIII—THE CATASTROPHE
3  Fauchelevent slackened his pace, but he could not detain the hearse.
Les Misérables 2 By Victor Hugo
Context  Highlight   In BOOK 8: CHAPTER V—IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO BE DRUNK IN ORDER TO BE ...
4  The latter wished to detain him by darting certain tender glances; but Porthos urged the commands of duty, and the procurator's wife was obliged to give place to the king.
The Three Musketeers By Alexandre Dumas
Context  Highlight   In 32 A PROCURATOR'S DINNER
5  I am not one of those tyrants who detain women by force.
The Three Musketeers By Alexandre Dumas
Context  Highlight   In 56 CAPTIVITY: THE FIFTH DAY
6  Well, well, my dear Edmond," continued the owner, "don't let me detain you.
The Count of Monte Cristo By Alexandre Dumas
Context  Highlight   In Chapter 1. Marseilles—The Arrival.
7  Well, I must detain you some time longer, but I will strive to make it as short as possible.
The Count of Monte Cristo By Alexandre Dumas
Context  Highlight   In Chapter 7. The Examination.
8  I shall detain you until this evening in the Palais de Justice.
The Count of Monte Cristo By Alexandre Dumas
Context  Highlight   In Chapter 7. The Examination.
9  Beauchamp had not been seen since the day he visited Albert, and those of whom the latter inquired always told him he was out on a journey which would detain him some days.
The Count of Monte Cristo By Alexandre Dumas
Context  Highlight   In Chapter 84. Beauchamp.
10  Selden roused himself to detain her.
House of Mirth By Edith Wharton
Context  Highlight   In BOOK 2: Chapter 14
11  She sought to detain them for a little talk and some pleasantry.
The Awakening By Kate Chopin
Context  Highlight   In V
12  She waved a dissenting hand, and went on, paying no further heed to their renewed cries which sought to detain her.
The Awakening By Kate Chopin
Context  Highlight   In X
13  She clung to his hand, striving to detain him.
The Awakening By Kate Chopin
Context  Highlight   In XV
14  To Rotherwood will I come, brave Saxon, and that speedily; but, as now, pressing matters of moment detain me from your halls.
Ivanhoe By Walter Scott
Context  Highlight   In CHAPTER XXXII.
15  I am looking for Henry every day, and as soon as he comes there will be nothing to detain me at Mansfield.
Mansfield Park By Jane Austen
Context  Highlight   In CHAPTER XXIX
Example Sentence:
1  The power to detain people without filing criminal charges against them is a dictatorial power.
2  The heavy traffic detained us for half an hour.
3  She was detained in the office by unexpected callers.
4  The suspect is detained at the police station.
5  They shouted out the names of those detained.
6  Iranian state television on Sunday aired what it described as the confession of an Iranian man detained for spying for the CIA.
7  Mr Sarkozy, who was subjected to the humiliation of being the first ex-head of state to be detained by police on Tuesday, appeared on television and radio tonight to denounce what he sees as an orchestrated politically-motivated campaign to destroy his reputation.