detach

verb

de·​tach di-ˈtach 

dē-

detached; detaching; detaches

transitive verb

1

: to separate especially from a larger mass and usually without violence or damage

2

: disengage, withdraw

detachability

di-ˌta-chə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

dē-

noun

detachable

di-ˈta-chə-bəl 

dē-

adjective

detachably

di-ˈta-chə-blē 

dē-

adverb

Examples of detach in a Sentence

Detach the upper part of the form and return it with your payment.

During the accident the trailer was detached from the car.

The brush detaches from the vacuum cleaner for easy cleaning.

It can be difficult to detach yourself from the chaos of the situation.

She has been trying to detach herself from an abusive relationship.

Recent Examples on the Web

And the fact that its recoil didn’t threaten to detach your retinas with each trigger pull was a big bonus. — John B. Snow, Outdoor Life, 24 Sep. 2026

The toy’s fire hose port can come loose and detach, creating a choking hazard. — Sacbee.com, 23 Sep. 2026

The bay facing the western shore of Newfoundland is the mouth—the gaping estuary—of the Saint Lawrence, Newfoundland on the chart detached and apparently drifting out to sea. — Paul Theroux, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Sep. 2026

Liu’s Met commission, with its disembodied hands, its severing and suturing of the organic and the mechanical, may be a metaphor for a civilization detached from its foundations and coming to its end. — Lavender Au, ARTnews.com, 21 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French détacher, from Old French destachier, from des- de- + -tachier (as in atachier to attach)

First Known Use

1686, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for detach

• attach
• bycatch
• despatch
• dispatch
• mismatch
• nuthatch
• potlatch
• bache
• batch
• brach
• catch
• hatch

Kids Definition

detach

verb

de·​tach di-ˈtach 

: to separate especially from a larger mass and usually without violence or damage

detachable

-ˈtach-ə-bəl 

adjective

detachably

-blē 

adverb