as in disengaging
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1
as in removing
to take (something) away from or off of something else to which it is joined
Detach the lower portion of the invoice and send it back with your payment.
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2
as in withdrawing
to avoid engaging with or participating in something
They were reticent people, completely detached from social life.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of detaching
Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Jan. 2026
The recall comes six months after Tesla and the NHTSA recalled roughly 46,000 Cybertrucks that were at risk of a trim panel detaching.
—Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
As of October 23, the company had received 158 reports of the curling iron barrel detaching, including six minor burn injuries.
—Matthew Robinson, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
Arthur Jones Ii, ABC News, 14 Jan. 2026
In one sense, detaching goal setting from the start of the Gregorian calendar is reasonable—one can, of course, choose to begin afresh at any moment.
—Valerie Trapp, The Atlantic, 30 Dec. 2025
Foliage turns yellow and then red, adhering to the plant for several months, before finally detaching to form a leafy mulch below.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 6 Dec. 2025
Imagery in the report shows the engine and its pylon detaching and flying up into the air in a ball of fire almost immediately after takeoff.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 26 Nov. 2025
For me, detaching from the male gaze wasn’t about rejecting beauty or fashion, but shifting who holds agency.
—Caterina De Biasio, Vogue, 22 Nov. 2025
Carol is actively detaching from anyone who might be of help to her.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2025
Ford had recalled 175,000 vehicles on Wednesday, owing to moonroof wind deflectors detaching.
—Detroit Free Press, Freep.com, 30 Oct. 2025
Emptying the dust cup was simple thanks to clear arrow indicators, although detaching it from the wand first added a small inconvenience.
—Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2025
Noun
An issue with a solid rocket booster motor detaching during launch on the second flight, though, delayed that certification until March 2025.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 Jan. 2026
The recall comes six months after Tesla and the NHTSA recalled roughly 46,000 Cybertrucks that were at risk of a trim panel detaching.
—Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
As of October 23, the company had received 158 reports of the curling iron barrel detaching, including six minor burn injuries.
—Matthew Robinson, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
This causes the uterine lining to stop thickening and to break down, detaching the embryo.
—Arthur Jones Ii, ABC News, 14 Jan. 2026
In one sense, detaching goal setting from the start of the Gregorian calendar is reasonable—one can, of course, choose to begin afresh at any moment.
—Valerie Trapp, The Atlantic, 30 Dec. 2025
Foliage turns yellow and then red, adhering to the plant for several months, before finally detaching to form a leafy mulch below.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 6 Dec. 2025
Imagery in the report shows the engine and its pylon detaching and flying up into the air in a ball of fire almost immediately after takeoff.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 26 Nov. 2025
For me, detaching from the male gaze wasn’t about rejecting beauty or fashion, but shifting who holds agency.
—Caterina De Biasio, Vogue, 22 Nov. 2025
Carol is actively detaching from anyone who might be of help to her.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2025
Ford had recalled 175,000 vehicles on Wednesday, owing to moonroof wind deflectors detaching.
—Detroit Free Press, Freep.com, 30 Oct. 2025
Emptying the dust cup was simple thanks to clear arrow indicators, although detaching it from the wand first added a small inconvenience.
—Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 25 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detaching
Verb
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Similarly, footage showing federal agents killing Alex Pretti revealed the ICU nurse was holding a phone in his right hand, and an officer removing a gun from his back waistband before the shooting.—
Emma Tucker,
CNN Money,
15 Feb. 2026
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In an effort to save Cathy, doctors place leeches over her body in hopes of removing the bad blood.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Emotional fatigue builds and high performers start rationing effort or quietly disengaging.—
Mark Murphy,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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Altogether, there is a complex system of legal support in place that has been shown to be very effective at preventing activists from disengaging after experiences of state repression.—
Heidi Reynolds-Stenson,
The Conversation,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Johnson hopes to give onlookers a parting gift Sunday with an improbable Daytona 500 win.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
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After parting ways with eight players at the NBA trade deadline, this team still is trying to get its bearings.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Hurzeler’s side are down to 14th, the same number of points (eight) separating them from West Ham in the relegation zone and Brentford in seventh.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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Management also said that Viasat continues to evaluate strategic options, which include potentially separating the company’s government and commercial businesses.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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India agreed to draw down its purchases, thereby withdrawing a critical financial lifeline for Russia amid its war against Ukraine.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
9 Feb. 2026
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Investigators said Neves-Valente was a former Brown University student who attended the Ivy League school from 2000 to 2001 as part of a PhD program in physics before formally withdrawing in the fall of 2003.—
Ashley Carnahan,
FOXNews.com,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Then, there’s a period of separation, followed by Heathcliff’s return, having made his own fortune.—
Radhika Seth,
Vogue,
9 Feb. 2026
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Ensuring safe separation between aircraft is vital to preventing tragedies like the collision over the Potomac River, and reports of serious safety concerns from airline pilots paint a troubling picture of safety over Burbank in particular.—
Marc Scribner,
Oc Register,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Cool the sauce quickly by dividing it into multiple shallow containers, and make sure to refrigerate within two hours of cooking.—
Lauren Wicks,
Southern Living,
10 Feb. 2026
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Heating Degree Days are calculated by taking the day's high temperature and adding it to the day's low temperature, then dividing by 2 and subtracting that value from 65.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Our narrator, a gay, happily married father of two disentangling himself from a poly love affair, is—depending on the light—brilliant, self-mythologizing, abject, hopeful, and vulnerable.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Sep. 2025
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Brittany Luse is joined by writer and journalist Ana Marie Cox to get into how people are disentangling alcohol from their lives, and the lessons she's learned as a recovering alcoholic.—
Veralyn Williams,
NPR,
6 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Detaching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detaching. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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