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:
But even if you detach Reddit entirely from the LLM conversation, it’s still a growing platform that users truly love, and one I believe leaders should pay more attention to.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
The researchers observed that dying cells alter their shape, detach from nearby structures, and leave behind a residue they call "the footprint of death."
From Science Daily ● Jun. 24, 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
“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
Two men detach themselves from the shape of it, come up the front steps, ring the bell.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
When the protein detaches, the RNA becomes available for producing viral proteins instead.
From Science Daily ● May 13, 2026
By losing control, they exposed how fragile authorship becomes once ownership detaches.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 20, 2026
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
As the soil dries, the thistle dies and detaches from the root.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 5, 2024
His sign flaps in the wind, then detaches and is sucked out the window.
From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King
The crash happened at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac of detached homes.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
A detached two-story guesthouse sits on the property with a centerpiece rooftop vantage point presenting breathtaking views of the iconic Surfrider Beach, Malibu Lagoon, and rolling mountains.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
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
To her owners, Gelsomina is simply a beloved pet who is growing increasingly detached and unwell.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
As Harry plunged after them, one of the fighters detached themselves from the fray and flew at him: It was the werewolf, Fenrir.
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
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
Investigators have said the accident was caused by one of the engines catching fire and detaching during takeoff.
From Barron's ● Nov. 8, 2025
Rhys luxuriates in his solitude and lack of responsibility, detaching to such a degree that, in 2020, he’s largely unaware of the COVID-19 pandemic until his barber insists he don a mask.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 6, 2025
“Okay, okay,” said Papa, detaching Mama from Mr. Beiderman’s neck.
From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser
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.
