Detainment and Holding pattern

Detainment

Detainment noun - An instance or period of being prevented from going about one's business.
Usage example: the returning vacationers' detainment at the border only lasted a few minutes

Holding pattern and detainment are semantically related. In some cases you can use "Holding pattern" instead a noun "Detainment".

Holding pattern

Holding pattern noun - An instance or period of being prevented from going about one's business.
Usage example: the couple has been trapped in this holding pattern for six months, as adoption officials create more red tape

Detainment and holding pattern are semantically related. You can use "Detainment" instead a noun phrase "Holding pattern".
Cite this Source
Holding pattern and Detainment. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 22, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/detainment/holding_pattern
Detainment & Holding pattern. N.p., 2016. Web. 22 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/detainment/holding_pattern>.
Holding pattern or Detainment. 2016. Accessed July 22, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/detainment/holding_pattern.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "detainment" and "holding pattern" have occurred on timeline