decouple vs distinguish

decouple and distinguish both are verbs.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
decouple	No	No	Yes	No
distinguish	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, distinguish is a hypernym of decouple; that is, distinguish is a word with a broader meaning than decouple:

Other hypernyms of decouple include differentiate, secern, secernate, separate, severalise, severalize, tell, tell apart.

decouple (verb)	distinguish (verb)
reduce or eliminate the coupling of (one circuit or part to another)	mark as different
eliminate airborne shock waves from (an explosive)	identify as in botany or biology, for example
regard as unconnected	be a distinctive feature, attribute, or trait; sometimes in a very positive sense
disconnect or separate	make conspicuous or noteworthy
	detect with the senses