detach them from

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "detach them from" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to the action of separating or removing something from a particular context or attachment. Example: "To improve the workflow, we need to detach them from the current project and assign them to a different task."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

9 human-written examples

Some are so totally character-driven and show-specific that you can't quite detach them from their original context.

The New York Times - Books

Snejana Onopka, Natasha Poly and Hana Soukupova, models in demand among the fashion designers who showed their collections in New York last week, appeared so gaunt and thin that their knees and elbows were larger than their concave thighs and pipe cleaner arms, and their bobbling heads looked as if a slight breeze could detach them from their frail bodies.

The New York Times

However, during bar removal, intense bone formation around the pectus bar and bar stabilizer makes it difficult to detach them from one another.

The Annals of Thoracic Surgery

Cells were then washed twice with PBS and incubated with TrypLE solution (substitute for porcine trypsin) for 5 min at 37°C to detach them from the flask.

Nanoscale Res Lett

Briefly, HEK-293 and MDCK cells were washed with PBS and treated with trypsin (PAA) to detach them from flask surfaces.

Plosone

In these cells, trypsin was required to detach them from the plate.

BMC Cancer

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

50 human-written examples

Taylor seemed to have scrambled the normal relations among logic, language and the physical world, detaching them from their proper spheres.

The New York Times - Magazine

"In the wake of 1966, restorers learned how to save frescoes without detaching them from walls and how to preserve manuscripts using historic materials and techniques," Cooper said.

The Guardian

One of the great successes against the insurgents in central Iraq, and detaching them from al-Qaida, was in recruiting some 125,000 Sunnis as special government levies.

The Guardian - Opinion

They argue that the grassroots nature of the maker movement is increasingly being co-opted and that the commercialisation of such projects detaches them from their community roots.

The Guardian

By the mid-1890s, however, the more militant anarchists in France began to realize that an excess of individualism had detached them from the workers they sought to liberate.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "detach them from", ensure the context clearly indicates what is being separated and from what. For instance, "detach the data points from the main dataset" provides a clearer understanding than simply stating "detach them".

Common error

Avoid using "detach them from" in overly complex sentences where the separation isn't immediately clear. This can lead to confusion. Simplify the sentence or use a more direct verb for clarity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "detach them from" functions as a transitive verb phrase. It describes an action performed on a direct object ("them"), indicating the act of separating or disconnecting something from something else. Ludwig AI confirms its proper usage.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

40%

Wiki

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "detach them from" is a grammatically sound phrase used to describe the act of separating something from something else. Ludwig AI confirms its validity. It's most frequently found in science and news contexts and carries a neutral tone. When using this phrase, ensure clarity by specifying what is being detached and from what. Consider alternatives like "separate them from" or "remove them from" for slight variations in meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

separate them from

Focuses on creating distance or a boundary, implying a deliberate act of disjoining.

remove them from

Emphasizes taking something away, highlighting the act of displacement.

disconnect them from

Implies severing a link or association, focusing on breaking a connection.

disengage them from

Suggests releasing something from an entanglement, highlighting the freeing aspect.

isolate them from

Highlights setting something apart, emphasizing the creation of a secluded state.

extract them from

Focuses on taking something out of a larger entity, suggesting a more complex removal.

liberate them from

Emphasizes freeing something from constraint, implying a positive outcome of release.

release them from

Suggests allowing something to go free, highlighting the act of letting go.

withdraw them from

Implies pulling something back, focusing on a retreat from a previous position.

divorce them from

Suggests a formal separation, often used in abstract contexts to indicate a strong division.

FAQs

How can I use "detach them from" in a sentence?

You can use "detach them from" to describe the action of separating something from its original context or attachment. For example, "The scientist used a special enzyme to detach the cells from the culture dish."

What is a good alternative to "detach them from"?

Depending on the context, you could use alternatives such as "separate them from", "remove them from", or "disconnect them from".

Is there a subtle difference between "detach them from" and "separate them from"?

While both phrases imply a separation, "detach them from" often suggests a more physical or mechanical separation, whereas "separate them from" can be more abstract. For example, you might "detach a component from a machine" but "separate ideas from emotions".

When is it more appropriate to use "remove them from" instead of "detach them from"?

"Remove them from" is generally used when something is being taken away entirely, whereas "detach them from" implies that the items might still exist, but are no longer connected. If you are cleaning, you could say that you are "removing the dirt from the car".