Detect
Detect verb - Discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of.
Usage example: She detected high levels of lead in her drinking water
Observe is a synonym for detect in notice topic. In some cases you can use "Observe" instead a verb "Detect", when it comes to topics like knowledge, ascertain, discover. popular alternative
Mutual synonyms
Common collocations
Both words in one sentence
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Reality Is Fluid starts out with the USS Bajor being tasked with testing a new sensor array designed to detect and observe alternate universes.
Source: Alternate Universe - The test goes horribly wrong and the Bajor is flung into fluidic space.This work contains the following tropes: Alternate Universe: The Schrodinger's Butterfly experiment is designed to detect and observe them.
Source: Fanfic / Reality Is Fluid -
Soon after, Paperinik seemingly starts to have memories of PK, while Gyro's device to observe parallel realities doesn't detect them anymore.
Cite this Source
Observe and Detect. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/detect/observe
Detect & Observe. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/detect/observe>.
Observe or Detect. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/detect/observe.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "detect" and "observe" have occurred on timeline