decouple

[ dee-kuhp-uhl ]

verb (used with object)

, de·cou·pled, de·cou·pling.

1. to cause to become separated, disconnected, or divergent; uncouple.
2. to absorb the shock of (a nuclear explosion):

   a surrounding mass of earth and rock can decouple a nuclear blast.

3. Electronics. to loosen or eliminate the coupling of (a signal between two circuits).

verb (used without object)

, de·cou·pled, de·cou·pling.

1. to separate or diverge from an existing connection; uncouple.

decouple

/ ˌdiːˈkʌpəl /

verb

1. tr to separate (joined or coupled subsystems) thereby enabling them to exist and operate separately

Other Words From

• de·coupler noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of decouple¹

First recorded in 1595–1605; de- + couple

Example Sentences

Cotton’s other suggestions are essentially just restatements of proposals he espoused in the “how to decouple” section, namely government funding for research, development, and training in key industries.

From Vox

In this case, customers “decouple the moral or the political piece from the utilitarian piece,” Reed explained.

From Washington Post

Sadly, the reality is you will be treated like a second class citizen because there’s a view that what you do is somehow decoupled from reality.

From Digiday

News feeds and recommendation systems like this have created a downward spiral of negativity and paranoia, slowly decoupling billions of people’s perception of reality from reality itself.

From MIT Technology Review

Economic growth appears to be decoupling from energy generation.

From Quartz