Disengage

/dɪsɪnˈɡeɪdʒ/

Meaning & Definition

verb
To release or detach someone or something from a connection or engagement.
He decided to disengage the trailer from his truck before he parked it.
To withdraw or remove oneself from a situation, involvement, or activity.
She felt it was necessary to disengage from the heated debate.
To cause to become free or detached.
The mechanism will disengage once you press the button.
To stop participating or collaborating in an activity.
The company plans to disengage from the project due to budget cuts.

Etymology

From 'dis-' meaning 'apart, asunder' + 'engage' from Old French 'engager' meaning 'to pledge'.

Common Phrases and Expressions

disengage from the situation:
To intentionally withdraw or remove oneself from an ongoing scenario.
disengage the brakes:
To release the brakes on a vehicle.
disengage emotionally:
To emotionally detach oneself from a person or situation.

Related Words

Slang Meanings

To zone out
I just needed to disengage for a bit and clear my mind.
To bail
I decided to disengage and bail on the party early.