detach
Americanverb (used with object)
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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
- detachability noun
- detachable adjective
- detachably adverb
- detacher noun
- nondetachability noun
- nondetachable adjective
- predetach verb (used with object)
- self-detaching adjective
- undetachable adjective
Etymology
Origin of detach
1470–80; < Middle French détacher, Old French destachier; dis- 1, attach
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.
I suggest you detach with love and repay the $1,000 he gave you.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 25, 2026
As ovarian cancer grows, some cells detach from the main tumor and enter the fluid-filled space within the abdomen.
From Science Daily • Feb. 9, 2026
“It plays on manipulation techniques,” said Small, who has now created a guide for others who are trying to understand how large language models work and are trying to detach themselves.
From Slate • Feb. 2, 2026
More broadly it is difficult to detach the Powell intervention from what is going on elsewhere in the US.
From BBC • Jan. 12, 2026
"As fast as you possibly can. Our job is to run to win. If that means you have to run until your legs detach from your body, then that's what you do."
From "Patina" by Jason Reynolds
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.
