disengage

verb

dis·​en·​gage ˌdis-in-ˈgāj How to pronounce disengage (audio)
disengaged; disengaging; disengages

transitive verb

: to release from something that engages or involves

intransitive verb

: to release or detach oneself : withdraw
disengagement noun

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 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.
An emboldened Russia is confident that the U.S. intends to further disengage from European security, rather than to bolster support. The Guardian, Twin Cities, 3 Oct. 2025 Hull says that some effective safety tweaks to existing chatbots would be relatively simple — they could be programmed to nudge a user to disengage during late-night hours, for instance. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025 Robinson, a radicalized college dropout, is one of the lost boys in their early twenties who, filled with hate spread over the internet, have become disengaged from society, out of work, out of education, out of hope. Peter Lucas, Boston Herald, 29 Sep. 2025 Those could show up as working too much, playing too many video games, shutting down, disengaging from their partners. CNN Money, 25 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for disengage

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of disengage was in 1611

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Disengage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disengage. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

disengage

verb
dis·​en·​gage ˌdis-ᵊn-ˈgāj How to pronounce disengage (audio)
: to free or release from an engagement, entanglement, or burden
disengage an automobile clutch
disengagement noun

More from Merriam-Webster on disengage

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