pick apart
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
The tenets of Brind’Amour’s system — the pros and the cons, real and perceived — have been picked apart, reassembled and picked apart again for the better part of a decade.
—
Sean Gentille, New York Times, 28 May 2026
The best players on the planet are always going to pick apart a golf course with those factors, which is exactly what unfolded.
—Mark Harris Outkick, FOXNews.com, 25 May 2026
The rock would have to be removed in one piece, unlike a tumor, which could be picked apart.
—Martha Raddatz, The Atlantic, 25 May 2026
The pair picked apart the Fire defense with a series of effective rolls and slips.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 10 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for pick apart
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Sean Gentille, New York Times, 28 May 2026
The best players on the planet are always going to pick apart a golf course with those factors, which is exactly what unfolded.
—Mark Harris Outkick, FOXNews.com, 25 May 2026
The rock would have to be removed in one piece, unlike a tumor, which could be picked apart.
—Martha Raddatz, The Atlantic, 25 May 2026
The pair picked apart the Fire defense with a series of effective rolls and slips.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 10 May 2026
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 2 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
