disengage

/ˌˈdɪsənˌgeɪdʒ/

/dɪsɪnˈgeɪdʒ/

Other forms: disengaged; disengaging; disengages

To disengage means to "free or disentangle" yourself or some object from another person or object. No, it doesn't mean breaking off your engagement to your beloved — that's "chickening out."

Does your mind wander when someone (your fiancé, for example) talks to you? Well, your mind can disengage as well, that is, stop paying attention. Disengage has quite a formal, intellectual ring to it, even if used about a situation as physical as two armies "disengaging from combat." It's a technical term, and faintly clinical; the kind of word frequently used by politicians and diplomats.

Definitions of disengage

1. verb

   release from something that holds fast, connects, or entangles
   “I want to disengage myself from his influence”

   “disengage the gears”

   synonyms: withdraw

   antonyms:

   engage

   keep engaged

   types:

   unlock

   set free or release

   type of:

   let go, let go of, release, relinquish

   release, as from one's grip
2. verb

   free or remove obstruction from
   synonyms: free

   types:

   dig out

   dig out from underneath earth or snow

   unclog

   become or cause to become unobstructed

   loosen up, unstuff

   cause to become unblocked

   disencumber, disentangle, extricate, untangle

   release from entanglement or difficulty

   unblock

   clear or remove an obstruction from
3. verb

   become free
   “in neutral, the gears disengage”

   antonyms:

   engage

   get caught

   types:

   unlock

   become unlocked

   declutch

   disengage the clutch of a car

   type of:

   change state, turn

   undergo a transformation or a change of position or action