Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for disconnect. Search instead for boooks connect.
Synonyms

disconnect

American  
[dis-kuh-nekt] / ˌdɪs kəˈnɛkt /

verb (used with object)

disconnected, disconnecting

  1. to sever or interrupt the connection of or between; detach.

    They disconnected the telephone. We were disconnected.

verb (used without object)

disconnected, disconnecting

  1. to sever or terminate a connection, as of a telephone; hang up.

    State your business and disconnect.

  2. to withdraw into one's private world.

    When social pressures become too great, she simply disconnects.

noun

  1. an act or instance of disconnecting, especially the suspension of telephone or cable TV service for nonpayment of service charges.

  2. a lack of communication or agreement.

    There is a huge disconnect between management and employees.
disconnect British  
/ ˌdɪskəˈnɛkt /

verb

  1. (tr) to undo or break the connection of or between (something, such as a plug and a socket)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a lack of a connection; disconnection

    a disconnect between political discourse and the public
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • disconnecter noun
  • disconnection noun
  • disconnective adjective
  • disconnectiveness noun

Etymology

Origin of disconnect

First recorded in 1760–70; dis- 1 + connect

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.

This challenge can make decision-making harder and, over time, may contribute to a disconnect from reality.

From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026

“We continue to observe a meaningful disconnect between the public dialogue on private credit and the underlying trends in our portfolio,” Blue Owl executives wrote in a letter to fund investors Thursday.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

It brought me this vision of isolation under the overhead lighting and this disconnect and chasing of attention in modern relationships.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026

While lower-income consumers are slowing down, there’s been a long-running disconnect between downbeat consumer sentiment and strong spending, he noted, pointing to a strong holiday shopping season at the end of 2025.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 14, 2026

He showed none of the disconnect between what he did and what he believed that I'd seen in so many of my law professors.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson

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.