Detain
6 lettersverbcommonUpdated June 2026
Definition
To hold a person in custody or keep them from leaving, typically by legal authority.
“Officers had the power to detain the suspect for up to twenty-four hours without charge.”
Pronunciation
IPA
/dɪˈteɪn/
Syllables
de·tain
Related Words
Word Game Tips
Wordle
Ends in AIN, a very common ending in English words, and the DE prefix is a reliable opening pattern
Scrabble
Worth 7 points with all common tiles, and hooks to DETAINED, DETAINS, and DETAINER for multiple extensions
Words Related to Detain
Words one letter different
Change a single letter of “detain” to make these 6-letter words — useful for Wordle and crossword clues.
Words you can make from Detain
Shorter words formed from the letters in “detain”.
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7-letter words you can spell by adding one letter to “detain”.
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