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

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

Developing their own software around AI models—a practice he calls “harness engineering”—gives businesses a way to decouple their workflows from the models themselves.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

Deutsche Bank’s Jim Reid laid out a few in commentary shared with MarketWatch on Wednesday, where he noted that stocks have started to decouple from crude-oil prices while bonds continued to trade in lock step.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 15, 2026

“We view this as an acceleration of policies looking to decouple U.S.-China biotech,” Raymond James healthcare policy analyst Chris Meekins wrote this week.

From Barron's ● Dec. 9, 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

Mastering refrigerated transport and storage decoupled society from its local geography, allowing the cattle ranges of the American West to feed the East Coast via insulated, ice-cooled railcars.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026

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

From BBC ● Mar. 18, 2026

“That decoupled world requires new manufacturing in the U.S. That is driving a lot of demand,” Strazik added.

From Barron's ● Feb. 8, 2026

But they also raise the risk of new policy mistakes, especially if employment is decoupled from growth.

From MarketWatch ● Dec. 4, 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

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

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

From Barron's ● May 13, 2026

By decoupling power generation from power consumption, AC meant that massive factories no longer had to be anchored to rushing rivers or local coal plants.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 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