come/fall apart at the seams
idiom
informal
: to break into parts or pieces
—usually used figuratively to describe someone or something that is in very bad condition
The plan/company is falling apart at the seams.
She looks like she's going to come apart at the seams.
Examples of come/fall apart at the seams in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The movie threatens to come apart at the seams a little here with a lot of expositional talk about how all this government of Spider-Men actually works.
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Ars Staff, Ars Technica, 25 Dec. 2023
Now the man reportedly worth $2.2 billion has revealed it’s been difficult to watch his project come apart at the seams, potentially pouring salt on the wounds for investors who may still blame him, in some part, for the company’s ultimate demise.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2023
Some start to fall mid-workout, or fall apart at the seams after a few washes, and others are sneakily transparent.
—Ariel Scotti, PEOPLE.com, 24 Mar. 2022
From Day 1, teammates say, the transfer quarterback stepped in with a swagger that lifted the locker room, changing a culture that had previously come apart at the seams.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 Dec. 2022
Gena Rowlands owns the screen as a woman whose average domestic life starts to come apart at the seams.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 1 Feb. 2021
Thousands of words have been dedicated in recent months in an attempt to understand how a team that was so painstakingly constructed, put together with such thought and expertise and precision, could come apart at the seams so quickly and so easily.
—Rory Smith, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2023
The defense had come apart at the seams, losing its way over the final weeks of last season.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 30 Dec. 2022
The braided ropes come apart at the seams as the strands of gluten stretch and tear, and the steam still inside the bread rises above the table like an offering.
—Benjamin, Longreads, 20 May 2022
Ars Staff, Ars Technica, 25 Dec. 2023
Now the man reportedly worth $2.2 billion has revealed it’s been difficult to watch his project come apart at the seams, potentially pouring salt on the wounds for investors who may still blame him, in some part, for the company’s ultimate demise.
—Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2023
Some start to fall mid-workout, or fall apart at the seams after a few washes, and others are sneakily transparent.
—Ariel Scotti, PEOPLE.com, 24 Mar. 2022
From Day 1, teammates say, the transfer quarterback stepped in with a swagger that lifted the locker room, changing a culture that had previously come apart at the seams.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 Dec. 2022
Gena Rowlands owns the screen as a woman whose average domestic life starts to come apart at the seams.
—Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 1 Feb. 2021
Thousands of words have been dedicated in recent months in an attempt to understand how a team that was so painstakingly constructed, put together with such thought and expertise and precision, could come apart at the seams so quickly and so easily.
—Rory Smith, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2023
The defense had come apart at the seams, losing its way over the final weeks of last season.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 30 Dec. 2022
The braided ropes come apart at the seams as the strands of gluten stretch and tear, and the steam still inside the bread rises above the table like an offering.
—Benjamin, Longreads, 20 May 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'come/fall apart at the seams.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Come/fall apart at the seams.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/come%2Ffall%20apart%20at%20the%20seams. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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