A prototypical problem in the study of wetting phenomena
is that of a solid plunging into or being withdrawn
from a liquid bath. In the latter, de-wetting case,
a critical speed exists above which a three-phase contact line
is no longer sustainable and the solid can no longer remain dry.
Instead, the solid is being coated with a liquid film.
We explain the nature of this transition by matching
the highly curved contact line region to the static profile
far away from it. An alternative possibility is that the contact
line is inclined relative to the direction of motion. We
calculate the angle at which the contact line is inclined,
and investigate the stability of tips at which two contact lines meet.
Results are compared to recent experiments.