detach
Americanverb (used with object)
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detaches,
present (3rd person singular)
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detached,
past participle, past
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detaching
present participle
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to unfasten and separate; disengage; disunite.
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Military. to send away (a regiment, ship, etc.) on a special mission.
verb
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to disengage and separate or remove, as by pulling; unfasten; disconnect
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military to separate (a small unit) from a larger, esp for a special assignment
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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detachabilitynoun
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detachernoun
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nondetachabilitynoun
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predetachverb (used with object)
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detachableadjective
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nondetachableadjective
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self-detachingadjective
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undetachableadjective
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detachablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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detachsimple
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detachessimple
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have detachedperfect
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has detachedperfect
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am detachingprogressive
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are detachingprogressive
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is detachingprogressive
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have been detachingperfect progressive
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has been detachingperfect progressive
Past
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detachedsimple
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had detachedperfect
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was detachingprogressive
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were detachingprogressive
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had been detachingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of detach
1470–80; < Middle French détacher, Old French destachier; see dis- 1, attach
Explanation
If you separate one thing from another, you are detaching it. As a newborn baby, you became familiar with this concept as soon as your umbilical cord was cut! You can use the word detach to talk about physically pulling two things apart. For example, when your shirt comes back from the dry cleaner missing a few buttons, it’s safe to assume they got detached during the cleaning process. This word is easy to remember when you consider its antonym attach. Once you have attached that election pin to your lapel, you better detach it when your candidate loses!
Vocabulary lists containing detach
de-
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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:
“Especially when people are laid off, the first thing many do is roll over,” said Christopher Bahnsen, an adviser in Arvada, Colo. “Emotionally, these people want to detach from that employer.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026
The team was about to take her to the operating room when he was finally able to detach it.
From Salon ● May 27, 2026
When the ice becomes thin enough, large portions can suddenly detach and break away at once.
From Science Daily ● May 19, 2026
“I’ll even continue to go with my family at times, with that being said, it’s time to detach myself from it.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 6, 2026
"Don't you ever detach me from the herd, Mike."
From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway
Ter Kulve is set to lead the company behind Ben & Jerry’s and Breyers as it detaches from consumer-goods giant Unilever.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 5, 2025
From the surface displacements, the researchers could glean clues to what was happening 1000 meters below, near the so-called grounding line—the spot where the frozen behemoth detaches from bedrock.
From Science Magazine ● May 19, 2024
In their testing, the researchers set the temperature at which the polymer detaches to 60°C, a temperature that falls outside most comfortable real-world conditions.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 29, 2024
As the soil dries, the thistle dies and detaches from the root.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 5, 2024
Michelangelo gently detaches himself from Jeanne's embrace and kneels down to stroke Gwenforte's head.
From "The Inquisitor's Tale" by Adam Gidwitz
Its detached, dispassionate approach vaguely recalls the work of another Kurosawa: Akira, who turned 75 shortly before releasing his late-career stunner “Ran.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
She described feeling "detached" from herself, not trusting her own judgement any more.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
To her owners, Gelsomina is simply a beloved pet who is growing increasingly detached and unwell.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
Video of the incident emerged showing the cockpit apparently becoming detached from the rotor.
From Barron's ● Jul. 16, 2026
Harry had started noticing Conor, catching his eye, looking at him with a detached amusement.
From "A Monster Calls" by Patrick Ness
Dr. Kiat explains that feathers grow over two to three weeks before detaching from the blood supply and becoming nonliving material.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 18, 2026
Weiss is of the opinion that CBS is on the cusp of unlocking a new golden age of journalism, and that this is achievable only by detaching the network from party lines.
From Slate ● Jan. 6, 2026
It shows women dressed in distinctive crash helmets carrying the bottles and pyrotechnics to customers, before detaching them and pouring drinks.
From BBC ● Jan. 2, 2026
Investigators have said the accident was caused by one of the engines catching fire and detaching during takeoff.
From Barron's ● Nov. 8, 2025
She seemed to be detaching herself from the world, growing ever lighter, more transparent, more winged.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
