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

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Etymology

Origin of decouple

First recorded in 1595–1605; de- + couple

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

decouple decoupled decoupling

Researchers often protect quantum memories from environmental interference using microwave pulses that separate, or decouple, the memory from surrounding noise.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 12, 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

Since 2023, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has pushed a "de-risk, not decouple" approach that balances concerns over relying too much on China with keeping ties.

From Barron's ● May 29, 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

“Tina” doesn’t entirely decouple Ike from Turner’s story, a fact she knows is impossible and with which she comes to terms.

From Salon ● Mar. 27, 2021

Previous attempts to explain why matter prevailed over antimatter generally left out the decoupled heavy neutrino.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 1, 2026

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

The likes of Helen Paul vehemently stand by their findings - arguing that the South Sea Annuities cannot be decoupled from the South Sea Company's slave-trafficking activities.

From BBC ● Jun. 18, 2026

Meta’s AI future can’t be decoupled from its social-media future.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 10, 2026

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

But decoupling from the US altogether would seem unrealistic - for both Canada and the EU.

From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026

The discovery may also help explain another puzzling hallmark of aging called "protein-transcript decoupling."

From Science Daily ● May 29, 2026

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

From Barron's ● May 13, 2026

That follows years of decoupling due to a U.S. exceptionalism narrative.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 7, 2026

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

From The Belgian Curtain Europe after Communism by Samuel Vaknin

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