detach
Americanverb (used with object)
-
detaches,
present (3rd person singular)
-
detached,
past participle, past
-
detaching
present participle
-
to unfasten and separate; disengage; disunite.
-
Military. to send away (a regiment, ship, etc.) on a special mission.
verb
-
to disengage and separate or remove, as by pulling; unfasten; disconnect
-
military to separate (a small unit) from a larger, esp for a special assignment
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
detachabilitynoun
-
detachernoun
-
nondetachabilitynoun
-
predetachverb (used with object)
-
detachableadjective
-
nondetachableadjective
-
self-detachingadjective
-
undetachableadjective
-
detachablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
detachsimple
-
detachessimple
-
have detachedperfect
-
has detachedperfect
-
am detachingprogressive
-
are detachingprogressive
-
is detachingprogressive
-
have been detachingperfect progressive
-
has been detachingperfect progressive
Past
-
detachedsimple
-
had detachedperfect
-
was detachingprogressive
-
were detachingprogressive
-
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-
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
George's Cosmic Treasure Hunt
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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:
“As a referee — contrary to what many people might think — you detach yourself from many situations, from the noise, from the pressure,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
But it’s also possible that AI products that mimic human conversation will detach us from engaging with the thoughts and feelings of other people around us.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 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
When the ice becomes thin enough, large portions can suddenly detach and break away at once.
From Science Daily ● May 19, 2026
For one moment, it seemed to detach itself and take the shape of a person.
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
Ter Kulve is set to lead the company behind Ben & Jerry’s and Breyers as it detaches from consumer-goods giant Unilever.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 5, 2025
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
When, for example, a leaf detaches from a tree and falls to the ground, it begins to break down immediately.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 24, 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
He described feeling detached from himself, as though he was "watching" his own life, adding that "nothing feels real".
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
Really, what writer, no matter how detached from their past, could resist that kind of sweet talk?
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
Hearn, who visited the reflecting pool in June during a bike ride, has said he reached his hand in the water to touch a piece of the coating that had already detached from the bottom.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
Video of the incident emerged showing the cockpit apparently becoming detached from the rotor.
From Barron's ● Jul. 16, 2026
He had to clean this helpless person—if he kept it detached, maybe he could do it.
From "The River" by Gary Paulsen
The ant reacts aggressively, biting the cone and accidentally detaching it from the anchor point.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 26, 2026
Visual effects company Weta created the effect of Vecna’s head detaching from his body.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 1, 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
Jackson charged Gorsuch with disregarding “the clear design of the ADA” by fixating on “one isolated provision” and detaching it “from its place in the overall scheme.”
From Slate ● Jun. 23, 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.
