disengage

verb dis·en·gage \ ˌdis-ᵊn-ˈgāj \

Updated on: 16 May 2018

Definition of disengage

transitive verb

: to release from something that engages or involves

intransitive verb

: to release or detach oneself : withdraw

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disengagement

play \-mənt\ noun

See disengage defined for English-language learners

See disengage defined for kids

Examples of disengage in a Sentence

The two dancers moved together in a series of quick movements before disengaging and leaping apart.
Put the car in gear, and then slowly disengage the clutch while pressing on the gas pedal.
If there is a malfunction, the gears will automatically disengage.

Recent Examples of disengage from the Web

And being disengaged isn’t the worst thing of all time.

— jamie samuelsen, Detroit Free Press, "David Griffin is front-runner, Becky Hammon most intriguing for Pistons," 10 May 2018
Motahari said Iran should wait several months to see whether Europe plans to resist US pressure to disengage from the Iranian economy, where European companies have invested in sectors ranging from auto manufacturing to oil exploration and tourism.

— washington post, BostonGlobe.com, "Iran to negotiate with Europeans, Russia and China about remaining in nuclear deal," 8 May 2018
Today pilots who spend relatively little time with yoke-and-rudder steering may not be proficient when the flight-management computers suddenly disengage.

— gregg easterbrook, WSJ, "‘The Efficiency Paradox’ Review: Big Data, Big Problems," 22 Apr. 2018
But the president clearly could not completely disengage from the daily political combat on the Russia investigation that has defined his time in office.

— the washington post, NOLA.com, "Trump vows to 'walk out' of meeting with North Korea's Kim Jong Un if it's not 'fruitful'," 19 Apr. 2018
Often that's coupled with a high number of working-age people who have become disengaged from the labor force for reasons that range from discouragement and drug addiction to skills that don’t match today’s jobs.

— mark trumbull, The Christian Science Monitor, "Even with worker shortages, GOP and Democrats focus on more jobs," 26 Apr. 2018
In practice, Trump, who is notoriously disengaged with policy, has gotten along well with congressional Republicans.

— jeet heer, The New Republic, "You’re Either With Trump on Trade, or Against Him," 5 Apr. 2018
But disengaging from the world at large also runs another risk: becoming irrelevant.

— dan deluca, Philly.com, "Do pop musicians hurt themselves when they refuse to take a political side? Exhibit A: Justin Timberlake," 29 Mar. 2018
And a lot of Trump voters are disengaged from the political process.

— joseph weber, Fox News, "Trump, stand-ins invade Pennsylvania to win Tuesday's House race, keep political mojo," 12 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'disengage.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of disengage

French désengager, from Middle French, from des- dis- + engager to engage

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1611

in the meaning defined at transitive sense

See Words from the same year

disengage Synonyms

Phrases

cut loose;

DISENGAGE Defined for English Language Learners

disengage

verb

Definition of disengage for English Language Learners

: to separate from someone or something
: to stop being involved with a person or group : to stop taking part in something
: to move (a mechanism or part of a machine) so that it no longer fits into another part