detach

1 of 2

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

detachable

2 of 2

adjective

de·​tach·​able

: capable of being or designed to be detached : capable of being separated or withdrawn without loss or damage

detachably

-blē 

-li

adverb

Examples of detach in a Sentence

Verb

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

Verb

By the time September winds down, Hester is on a timetable all her own, out of synch with her family, detached from its cares, paradoxically and bitterly free. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2026

However, the designer needed some time off, if not entirely detached, from the whirlwind of handling a fashion megabrand. — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 5 Nov. 2026

Investors worry that the enormous investment in AI is creating a stock market bubble, which happens when sky-high valuations become detached from companies' underlying fundamentals. — Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 5 Nov. 2026

The plug head has embedded magnets that lock the charger in place but also detach easily if the cable gets snagged or pulled. — Brian Westover, PC Magazine, 4 Nov. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

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

First Known Use

Verb

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