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:
"So they detach the slow-growing gut, which is now tethering the lengthening body. The body buckles and twists into coiling," Miyashita explains.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 1, 2026
“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 Dragon effectively functions as a lifeboat - attached to the station but ready to detach the moment the order is given.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026
We remained standing in the Appelplatz for a long time, unable to detach ourselves from this surreal moment.
From "Night" by Elie Wiesel
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
As the soil dries, the thistle dies and detaches from the root.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 5, 2024
After growth, electron irradiation detaches individual carbon atoms from the diamond's perfect crystal lattice.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 2023
His sign flaps in the wind, then detaches and is sucked out the window.
From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King
They didn’t locate any weapons, but they did find a pair of detached pistol magazines.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
Other Nebraskans said they felt a bit detached from the entire war issue.
From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026
Landreth has a two-bedroom cottage, detached garage and back patio.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026
"There's an intestine detached from the rest of the body, surrounded by tendrils of blood vessels from the yolk."
From Science Daily ● Sep. 1, 2026
His house was detached from those around it, surrounded by flowers that bloomed in splendid colors and overwhelming fragrances.
From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago
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
In the more than 3,000 pages of documents released ahead of the hearing, the plane's crew described the violent decompression that resulted from the panel detaching mid-flight.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2024
As part of that move, the company developed a new way of dealing with the trunk, detaching it from the capsule while it was still in orbit.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2024
The dog, detaching its forepaws from Toomer’s shoulders, moved toward Ben, menacing, suspicious.
From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy
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.
