decouple

American  

[dee-kuhp-uhl] / diˈkʌp əl /

verb (used with object)

decoupled, decoupling

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).

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verb (used without object)

decoupled, decoupling

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

decouple British  

/ ˌdiːˈkʌpəl /

verb

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

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Other Word Forms

• decoupler
  noun

Etymology

Origin of decouple

First recorded in 1595–1605; de- + couple

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

decouple decoupled decoupling

“The Catcher in the Rye” is a text that is flatly impossible to decouple from its author: A book about trauma written in the midst of trauma by a traumatized man.

From Salon ● Jul. 25, 2026

It is impossible to decouple the Dodgers’ success from what it could mean for the sport’s future.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026

Ahead of boarding the plane on Tuesday night, Merz said Germany would continue its broader de-risking policy but that, "it would be a mistake for us to seek to decouple ourselves from China".

From BBC ● Feb. 24, 2026

"The industry is moving very quickly into a world where it's not really possible anymore to decouple the historical-agricultural land use from the solar."

From Barron's ● Feb. 22, 2026

The longer the blackout continues, the more market action continues to decouple from fundamentals and turn toward narrative-driven flows and momentum on unwarranted fundamentals.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 11, 2025

Stocks have decoupled from oil prices; S&P 500 fell over 1.4%, and the Nasdaq is down around 3%.

From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026

I haven’t bought or sold property since the National Association of Realtors ruling that decoupled buyer’s and seller’s agent commissions.

From MarketWatch ● May 19, 2026

"Their mobility costs are decoupled from international oil markets."

From BBC ● Mar. 18, 2026

If the merger happens, Union Pacific says it could build more trains specifically for destinations on the Eastern seaboard, reducing the need for railcars to be decoupled at a busy interchange.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 16, 2025

What made the scheme novel was that for the first time it decoupled a test moratorium from all other disarmament issues, thereby removing the major cause of the deadlock between the two countries.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

It has only managed to encourage the free world’s decoupling from the Chinese economy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

Policymakers may be able to use these insights to develop shared stockpiling programs, diversify refining and manufacturing capacity, and better assess the broader effects of trade restrictions or economic decoupling strategies.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 20, 2026

That diversion is further proof that decoupling is real: Beijing is rerouting goods because the U.S. market has grown too expensive to serve directly.

From MarketWatch ● May 14, 2026

"Any delusion of full decoupling isn't realistic on any near-term horizon", she told AFP.

From Barron's ● May 13, 2026

Finally, they go, it will accept decoupling and modulation.

From The Belgian Curtain Europe after Communism by Vaknin, Samuel