1
as in to remove
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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
2
as in to disengage
to avoid engaging with or participating in something
They were reticent people, completely detached from social life.
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of detach
Both singers seemed so coolly detached yet their words and melodies were utterly compelling and evoked so much longing.
—
Liza Lentini, SPIN, 8 May 2026
Barnett’s hypothesizing about the motives of a nonexistent male child of Barack Obama is part of a conservative fixation that’s detached from historical reality.
—Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 1 May 2026
That pouch can detach, posing a risk of serious injury or death from choking hazard to children.
—Georgia Slater, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
There have been reports of the zipper slider detaching while in use in the United Kingdom.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for detach
Liza Lentini, SPIN, 8 May 2026
Barnett’s hypothesizing about the motives of a nonexistent male child of Barack Obama is part of a conservative fixation that’s detached from historical reality.
—Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 1 May 2026
That pouch can detach, posing a risk of serious injury or death from choking hazard to children.
—Georgia Slater, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
There have been reports of the zipper slider detaching while in use in the United Kingdom.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for detach
Recent Examples of Synonyms for detach
Verb
-
Critics of the renaming say keeping Trotter’s name could allow the college to confront its history rather than remove visible reminders of it.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
12 May 2026
-
In his lawsuit, Elon Musk is seeking $150 billion in damages, for Altman to be removed from OpenAI and for the company to be returned to nonprofit status.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
In worrying that young people are disengaged from participating in civic society, adults may overlook both their own role in fostering engagement and the many ways young people are already contributing.—
Jen Agans,
The Conversation,
8 May 2026
-
Meanwhile, on Facebook, posting behavior is correlated on both sides of the partisan divide and has more to do with how active the most partisan users are, prompting casual users to disengage so that those louder voices dominate, making the platform narrower and more ideologically extreme.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
According to the Mayo Clinic, VSD is when there's a hole in the wall separating the heart’s lower chambers, while ASD is a hole in the heart's upper chambers, increasing the amount of blood that flows through the lungs.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
11 May 2026
-
Although there’s a contiguous flow between the indoor and outdoor portions of the club, the areas can also be separated by a seamless glass wall that can be folded back completely into pockets on the side.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
This is practically impossible for something with an enormous mass like a planet or star, as there’s no known way to disentangle the gravitational constant (G) from a mass (M) from orbital mechanics alone.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
6 May 2026
-
The single-system design would be costly to disentangle — if possible at all.—
Jennifer Van Grove,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The space is divided into six distinct environments, including a Dolby Atmos lounge for immersive, spatial audio, a gallery area for talks and panels, and a 'listening bar' where staff offer their own personal recommendations.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
6 May 2026
-
Colbert grilled the former president on the topic dividing the city, baseball.—
Elyssa Kaufman,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
His is a more enlightened era, but Hannes, lonely and withdrawn, doesn’t share his classmates’ interest in campus sit-ins and free love.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
-
Days after four Republican candidates withdrew from the upcoming Platte County election and launched independent campaigns, the county’s Republican committee announced plans to censure those candidates and deem them unwelcome within the party.—
Jenna Ebbers,
Kansas City Star,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
Critics have argued the skyway makes the challenge of filling empty storefronts doubly difficult, as second-floor retail effectively splits a dwindling customer and retail base between two levels.—
Frederick Melo,
Twin Cities,
10 May 2026
-
By Mark O’Connell The conservative media commentator split with the administration over the war in Iran.—
Susan Dominus Dina Litovsky Mark O’Connell Lulu Garcia-Navarro Amy X. Wang Nitsuh Abebe Linda Kinstler Lisa Sanders, M.D. Kwame Anthony Appiah John Hodgman,
New York Times,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
Velasco said families have fled to nearby towns, where many now take refuge in a soccer field.—
Megan Janetsky,
Fortune,
10 May 2026
-
The suspect also shot a woman, who suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to a hospital, before fleeing the scene, according to police.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Detach.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/detach. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
