as in separating
to set or force apart
to have a fruitful discussion, we need to decouple fact from opinion
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Recent Examples of decoupling
In the 1970s, once President Richard Nixon ended Bretton Woods by decoupling the dollar from gold, that privilege was revived in oil and debt, requiring every country on Earth to accumulate dollars simply to buy oil, and then reinvest those dollars back into American debt.
—
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 24 Mar. 2026
The company expects to continue decoupling revenue growth from emissions, aiming to reduce its carbon footprint even as sales expand.
—Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 19 Feb. 2026
The United States had more luck decoupling from China, with American imports of Chinese goods plummeting by nearly 32 percent to $202 billion in 2025.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 19 Feb. 2026
Now, decoupling supply chains are driving manufacturing growth in the West once more, electric vehicles and home heat pumps need to be plugged in, and the makers of AI’s large language models have ever-increasing power needs.
—Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 6 Feb. 2026
More and more, state lawmakers are decoupling vaccine rules from the federal recommendations, with about half of states going their own way, Kates said.
—Isabella Cueto, STAT, 29 Jan. 2026
But decoupling from the United States would not be easy, fast or cheap.
—Doyle McManus, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Many legislatures are likely to pick and choose, keeping politically popular provisions like tax breaks for tips, while decoupling from business provisions like full bonus depreciation.
—Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026
By decoupling measurement from synchronization, MASI opens a new domain where software, not glass, defines what optical systems can see, according to findings published in Nature Communications.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 23 Dec. 2025
Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 24 Mar. 2026
The company expects to continue decoupling revenue growth from emissions, aiming to reduce its carbon footprint even as sales expand.
—Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 19 Feb. 2026
The United States had more luck decoupling from China, with American imports of Chinese goods plummeting by nearly 32 percent to $202 billion in 2025.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 19 Feb. 2026
Now, decoupling supply chains are driving manufacturing growth in the West once more, electric vehicles and home heat pumps need to be plugged in, and the makers of AI’s large language models have ever-increasing power needs.
—Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 6 Feb. 2026
More and more, state lawmakers are decoupling vaccine rules from the federal recommendations, with about half of states going their own way, Kates said.
—Isabella Cueto, STAT, 29 Jan. 2026
But decoupling from the United States would not be easy, fast or cheap.
—Doyle McManus, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Many legislatures are likely to pick and choose, keeping politically popular provisions like tax breaks for tips, while decoupling from business provisions like full bonus depreciation.
—Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026
By decoupling measurement from synchronization, MASI opens a new domain where software, not glass, defines what optical systems can see, according to findings published in Nature Communications.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 23 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for decoupling
Verb
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Charles’s timing makes the benefits of separating those roles more obvious.—
Erin Vanderhoof,
Vanity Fair,
26 Apr. 2026
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The couple sat in a vestibule inside the Aurora immigration detention facility on a Saturday in March, staring at each other through the glass barrier separating the incarcerated from the free.—
Elizabeth Hernandez,
Denver Post,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The University of Massachusetts poll, fielded among 1,000 Americans, found 74% believe there are more things uniting them than dividing them.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
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Michelle Boudreau Design mixed a white dividing wall with hedges that don't block the view of palm trees in this desert backyard.—
Kristin Hohenadel,
The Spruce,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The plant will feed on renewable power from Paraguay’s vast Itaipu dam to produce hydrogen by splitting water through electrolysis, which is then combined with nitrogen to create zero-carbon ammonia.—
Natasha Bracken,
semafor.com,
28 Apr. 2026
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The shooting has also intensified calls by conservatives to fully fund DHS through a single bill — blaming Democrats for the shutdown and arguing that splitting apart ICE and Border Patrol funding will only give the minority party leverage.—
Mike Lillis,
The Hill,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Features like front and rear locking differentials and a disconnecting front stabilizer bar help the truck crawl over obstacles that would challenge most pickups.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Apr. 2026
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There are several natural gas marketers in the state, but the commission said Atlanta Gas Light is still responsible for the pipelines and connecting and disconnecting service.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Decoupling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/decoupling. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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