pick apart
phrasal verb
picked apart; picking apart; picks apart
chiefly US
: to say all of the things that are bad or wrong about (someone or something) : to criticize (a person or thing) in a very detailed and usually unkind way
You can expect political analysts to pick apart the governor's speech.
The film's critics picked his performance apart.
Examples of pick apart in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Jones virtually had all day to stand in the pocket and pick apart the Dolphins’ secondary, which certainly lacked experience before Storm Duck’s unfortunate ankle injury.
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C. Isaiah Smalls Ii, Miami Herald, 11 Sep. 2025
Rodgers was able to pick apart his former team en route to a 34-32 victory on Sunday.
—Reice Shipley, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
The senior picked apart the Red Wolves with his arm and his legs, setting the tone for a big offensive output.
—Arkansas Online, 7 Sep. 2025
The video was picked apart by people looking for some hints as to the shooter’s motivation or politics.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pick apart
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C. Isaiah Smalls Ii, Miami Herald, 11 Sep. 2025
Rodgers was able to pick apart his former team en route to a 34-32 victory on Sunday.
—Reice Shipley, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Sep. 2025
The senior picked apart the Red Wolves with his arm and his legs, setting the tone for a big offensive output.
—Arkansas Online, 7 Sep. 2025
The video was picked apart by people looking for some hints as to the shooter’s motivation or politics.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pick apart
Cite this Entry
“Pick apart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pick%20apart. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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