detach

verb

de·​tach di-ˈtach How to pronounce detach (audio)
dē-
detached; detaching; detaches

transitive verb

1
: to separate especially from a larger mass and usually without violence or damage
2
detachability noun
detachable adjective
detachably 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Its appeal lies in its hybrid nature — users can play the console on a TV, but can also detach it to use it on the go. Arjun Kharpal, CNBC, 18 June 2025 Two legislative leaders, Perez and Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, and their key staff members, oversaw reams of spending decisions while most lawmakers were back home in their districts, totally detached from it all. Steve Bousquet, Sun Sentinel, 14 June 2025 Chanos And Saylor: My Take On Bitcoin, Valuation, And Reality Never one to hold back, Jim Chanos views Strategy’s valuation as detached from reality. Jim Osman, Forbes.com, 14 June 2025 Hair also continued to have significance and power even when it was detached from the body—preserved, perhaps, in a book or locket—because the strands of hair themselves functioned as a synecdoche for their owner. Literary Hub, 9 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for detach

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of detach was in 1686

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Detach.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/detach. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

detach

verb
de·​tach di-ˈtach How to pronounce detach (audio)
: to separate especially from a larger mass and usually without violence or damage
detachable adjective
detachably adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on detach

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