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:
Others carry the earth to a nearby seasonal river, where mostly women crouch in the murky water, washing and sifting mud and sand hoping to detect a tiny trace of the element.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
Machine learning systems can search millions of biological data points for subtle relationships that may be difficult to detect using conventional approaches.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026
Examining individual cells allowed the researchers to detect sex specific genetic differences that earlier studies using bulk blood samples could not see.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 20, 2026
But urgent care addresses acute illness or injury and doesn’t usually detect the gradual changes that can become disease.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Anyone with a receiver and an antenna could detect radio signals, and Morse was widely known by both sides.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
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This type of scanning detects changes in blood flow associated with brain activity, allowing researchers to observe which areas and networks are more or less active.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026
As the hulking antenna swivels into action, screens inside the control room light up with the names of objects the radar system detects: stars, satellites and abandoned rocket bodies.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
She detects a generalized funk poisoning our existence and asks, not unreasonably, “What is with this bummer veil cast over everything fun or exciting?”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026
When the camera detects a violation, it generates an evidence package, consisting of the date, time and location, as well as still images.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
Her nose is always slightly elevated, as if she detects a foul smell.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
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Penn State researchers contributed expertise and guidance for modeling the light detected from the galaxy systems.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 22, 2026
That is 100,000 times faster than a commercial airplane, or more than eight percent of the speed of light, making it the fastest star ever detected in our galaxy.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
Four years ago a trace of DNA was detected on fragments of skin found on the victim's trousers because of improved forensic techniques.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
“But I think he detected that I was ready for what he thought was the best way to help me to become better and stronger mentally.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
He detected that the date initially typed on the document had said “June,” and that someone had then carefully rubbed out the u and the e.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
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So would accelerating the process of detecting and removing old munitions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
"It's detecting fraud if you change the price of something. It's detecting a counterfeit item for a second hand pair of Zara jeans."
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
"We are significantly strengthening our ability to respond to hostile drones," German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said at the opening of the centre, which will focus on detecting and identifying unmanned aerial vehicles.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
I’ve thought about whether AI could eventually play a role of a central banker, detecting bubbles or risk buildup that humans might miss.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
Even research men suffer from the handicap of inadequate methods of detecting the beginnings of injury.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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Vocabulary lists containing detect
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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List 9
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