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.
It can detect planets as small as Earth and Mars, both within habitable zones and at greater distances from their stars.
From Science Daily • Jun. 1, 2026
“We will be deploying drone mitigation and interception teams with capabilities to detect, track and assess unauthorized drone activity that threatens aviation safety or the public around venues at major events,” Grandy said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2026
Some winemakers place microchips under labels and corks that detect bottle tampering.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026
The fibre-optic drones used by Hezbollah – also known as First-Person View or FPVs – are much harder to detect than the rockets and mortars this town is used to.
From BBC • May 28, 2026
This general despair was just one of the reasons they didn’t detect the score of rats until they were almost on top of them.
From "Gregor the Overlander" by Suzanne Collins
Vocabulary lists containing detect
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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List 9
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