detected; detecting; detects
1
: to discover the true character of
detecting drug smugglers
2
: to discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
detect alcohol in the blood
Do I detect a note of sarcasm in your voice?
3
: to work as a detective
Examples of detect in a Sentence
The test is used to detect the presence of alcohol in the blood.
This type of cancer is difficult to detect in its early stages.
Recent Examples on the Web
Amtrak and many other ground transportation companies barred weapons on trains and buses after 9/11, but none put security measures in place to detect or screen every passenger for firearms.
—
CBS News, 1 May 2026
Mosquito antennae can detect a CO2 trail from up to 120 feet away, USA Today reports.
—Ryan Brennan
may 1, Sacbee.com, 1 May 2026
Flying low over glaciers across Alaska and Wyoming, researchers mapped ice thickness, detected debris layers just a few feet thick and revealed internal structures within the ice.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 1 May 2026
Golden mussels, native to China and Southeastern Asia, were first detected in October 2024 by California Department of Water Resources staff who were conducting routine operations in the Port of Stockton, a CDWR spokesperson told ABC News.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for detect
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CBS News, 1 May 2026
Mosquito antennae can detect a CO2 trail from up to 120 feet away, USA Today reports.
—Ryan Brennan
may 1, Sacbee.com, 1 May 2026
Flying low over glaciers across Alaska and Wyoming, researchers mapped ice thickness, detected debris layers just a few feet thick and revealed internal structures within the ice.
—Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 1 May 2026
Golden mussels, native to China and Southeastern Asia, were first detected in October 2024 by California Department of Water Resources staff who were conducting routine operations in the Port of Stockton, a CDWR spokesperson told ABC News.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 1 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for detect
Cite this Entry
“Detect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detect. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
detect
verb
de·tect
di-ˈtekt 
: to discover the nature, existence, presence, or fact of
detect the approach of an airplane
detection
noun
-ˈtek-shən
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