detach

verb

de·​tach di-ˈtach How to pronounce detach (audio)
dē-
detached; detaching; detaches
Synonyms of detachnext

transitive verb

1
: to separate especially from a larger mass and usually without violence or damage
2
: disengage, withdraw
detachability
di-ˌta-chə-ˈbi-lə-tē How to pronounce detach (audio)
dē-
noun
detachable
di-ˈta-chə-bəl How to pronounce detach (audio)
dē-
adjective
detachably
di-ˈta-chə-blē How to pronounce detach (audio)
dē-
adverb

Examples of detach in a Sentence

Detach the upper part of the form and return it with your payment. During the accident the trailer was detached from the car. The brush detaches from the vacuum cleaner for easy cleaning. It can be difficult to detach yourself from the chaos of the situation. She has been trying to detach herself from an abusive relationship.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Protium detaches first at low temperatures, followed by deuterium, while tritium holds on the longest and requires the highest heat to release. — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 7 Aug. 2026 The result is content that is fluent and consistent yet detached from the nuance that drives customer behavior. — Georg Ell, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2026 Five of the homes would be two-story houses, while the home closest to West 32nd Avenue would include an attached or detached accessory dwelling unit. — Jessica Alvarado Gamez, Denver Post, 5 Aug. 2026 The particular challenge for SpaceX, which entered the AI market in February through its merger with Musk's xAI, is that reselling AI capacity for short-term revenue is a strategy that's detached from the company's broader ambitions. — Ari Levy,lora Kolodny, CNBC, 5 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for detach

Word History

Etymology

French détacher, from Old French destachier, from des- de- + -tachier (as in atachier to attach)

First Known Use

1686, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of detach was in 1686

Rhymes for detach

See All Rhymes for detach

Browse Nearby Words

det
detach
detachability
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Detach.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detach. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

detach

verb
de·​tach di-ˈtach How to pronounce detach (audio)
: to separate especially from a larger mass and usually without violence or damage
detachable
-ˈtach-ə-bəl How to pronounce detach (audio)
adjective
detachably
-blē How to pronounce detach (audio)
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on detach

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for detach

Nglish: Translation of detach for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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