detect
Usage
What are other ways to say detect?
To detect implies becoming aware of something that had been obscure, secret, or concealed: to detect a flaw in reasoning. To ascertain is to verify facts by inquiry or analysis: to ascertain the truth about an event. To learn is to add to one's knowledge or information: to learn a language. The verb discover is used with objective clauses as a synonym of learn in order to suggest that the new information acquired is surprising to the learner: I discovered that she had been married before.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Speaking on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Zelenskyy said American intelligence used to detect incoming Russian missile strikes had been restored after a brief interruption.
From Salon ● Oct. 18, 2026
We are also introducing a new system which acts to detect possible data breaches.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
Although powerful hurricanes can generate atmospheric gravity waves, satellites cannot always detect them.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026
Plus, Bank of America faces more than $1.2 billion in penalties over failures to detect financial crime.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
This was a process that involved lining up messages to detect new patterns that could unlock the cipher.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
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A hotspot is a location where a satellite detects an unusually high temperature, indicating a potential fire or other strong heat source.
From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026
We need to replace the nation’s BioWatch system—the federal air-monitoring system that detects biological agent releases—with today’s technology.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
Belgian physicist Prof Francis Halzen has won the Nobel Prize in Physics for his pioneering work on an observatory that detects particles from space, shedding light on the distant universe.
From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026
RBC also detects that during major drawdowns, confidence and sentiment gauges move sharply with readings like the National Federation of Independent Business and the American Association of Individual Investors dropping sharply.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
My system detects we are getting closer and closer.
From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga
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Russian drones were detected overnight not far from the scene - near Ukraine's Snake Island.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
The researchers also detected previously unrecognized chemical boundaries in the choroid plexus, the structure responsible for producing cerebrospinal fluid, as well as in the tissues lining the brain's internal cavities.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026
She then considered a frightening explanation when her mother detected a funny taste to the water she kept in a bottle at her desk at Berkeley Engineering and Research.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
He said the nodule was detected at “a very early stage” and that his doctors had recommended surgery to remove it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
Mr. Armin stood scowling at us, but under the mask of disapproval I detected a hint of amusement.
From "The Shakespeare Stealer" by Gary L. Blackwood
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This could reduce unnecessary follow-up observations while increasing the chances of detecting rare jet-launching episodes at crucial moments.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026
"The two-month delay in detecting and reporting the incident to the city is unacceptable."
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
"The research is particularly important for the endangered Australian sea lion, which has an estimated population of only about 12,000 animals and relies on hearing for communication, finding food, navigation and detecting threats," Erbe said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
But beyond detecting Fresh Mushroom Aroma, the possibilities are vast for this technology, according to Ben Montpetit, professor and chair, Department of Viticulture and Enology at UC Davis.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
There was always a point at which a detective began to question his suspects, and she figured talking to Cook was a kind of detecting.
From "Ophie's Ghosts" by Justina Ireland
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Vocabulary lists containing detect
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