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
Before long, though, his family, his community, the prison management, and the media start picking apart the protagonist’s story and his intentions.
—
Tiara Ataii, Vulture, 24 June 2025
Cooper Neill/Getty Images Offensively, Philadelphia has countless ways to pick apart opposing defenses.
—Kevin McCormick, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
Madrid have struggled for balance all season, getting picked apart by opponents with sufficiently proficient build-up to play through their top-heavy side.
—Mark Carey, New York Times, 10 May 2025
Boyle has been candid about why she's been absent from the spotlight in recent years, opening up to PEOPLE in an exclusive interview in July 2024 about her days being followed by tabloids, which picked apart her thin frame and her former romance with Jack Nicholson, 88.
—Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 15 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for pick apart
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Tiara Ataii, Vulture, 24 June 2025
Cooper Neill/Getty Images Offensively, Philadelphia has countless ways to pick apart opposing defenses.
—Kevin McCormick, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
Madrid have struggled for balance all season, getting picked apart by opponents with sufficiently proficient build-up to play through their top-heavy side.
—Mark Carey, New York Times, 10 May 2025
Boyle has been candid about why she's been absent from the spotlight in recent years, opening up to PEOPLE in an exclusive interview in July 2024 about her days being followed by tabloids, which picked apart her thin frame and her former romance with Jack Nicholson, 88.
—Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 15 June 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 4 Jul. 2025.
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