1.
to pull apart, to separate forcefully
To physically separate people or things that are close together or clinging to each other.
喧嘩している二人を引き離した。
I pulled apart the two who were fighting.
母親から引き離された子供が泣いていた。
The child who was separated from his mother was crying.
抱きついている犬を無理やり引き離すのはかわいそうだ。
It's pitiful to forcibly pull away a dog that's clinging to you.
2.
to leave behind, to widen the gap
To increase the distance or difference between oneself and a competitor. Commonly used in races, rankings, and competitive contexts.
二位を大きく引き離した。
They pulled far ahead of second place.
後半で一気にライバルを引き離した。
In the second half, they rapidly pulled away from their rival.
最終コーナーで他の選手を引き離し、独走でゴールした。
At the final corner they left the other athletes behind and crossed the finish line alone.
USAGE:
A compound verb combining 引く (to pull) and 離す (to separate). The forceful nuance of pulling is preserved.
GRAMMAR:
Godan verb ending in す. Transitive — always takes を to mark the object being separated or left behind.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 二人を引き離す: to pull two people apart
- ライバルを引き離す: to leave a rival behind
- 大きく引き離す: to pull far ahead