disengage

[ dis-en-geyj ]

verb (used with object)

, dis·en·gaged, dis·en·gag·ing.

1. to release from attachment or connection; loosen; unfasten:

   to disengage a clutch.

2. to free (oneself ) from an engagement, pledge, obligation, etc.:

   He accepted the invitation, but was later forced to disengage himself.

3. Military. to break off action with (an enemy).

verb (used without object)

, dis·en·gaged, dis·en·gag·ing.

1. to become disengaged; free oneself.

disengage

/ ˌdɪsɪnˈɡeɪdʒ /

verb

1. to release or become released from a connection, obligation, etc

   press the clutch to disengage the gears

2. military to withdraw (forces) from close action
3. fencing to move (one's blade) from one side of an opponent's blade to another in a circular motion to bring the blade into an open line of attack

Derived Forms

• ˌdisenˈgaged, adjective

Other Words From

• dis·en·gag·ed·ness [dis-en-, gey, -jid-nis, -, geyjd, -], noun
• self-disen·gaging adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of disengage¹

1605–15; < Middle French desengager, equivalent to des- dis- ¹ + engager to engage

Example Sentences

Plenty will just want to disengage from the body politic, but that’s how Trump and his enablers succeed.

From Salon

“For us, the challenge at first was to disengage, to be strangers, the awkward stranger coming into the house. And so we had to find a way to be wary of each other.”

From Los Angeles Times

"There's something about watching projected video that can disengage you or make you passive as an audience member to some degree, whereas if those projections are slightly more abstract, then you have to have to be engaged a little more," Cremo told Salon.

From Salon

These volunteers have completed weeks of training, where they learned skills including how to disengage from a tight grip and respond to a knife attack.

From BBC

If they hit roadblocks, they are “that much more likely to then disengage from the healthcare system.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• back off
• detach
• disconnect
• disentangle
• dissociate
• extricate
• liberate
• withdraw