take apart
verb
took apart; taken apart; taking apart; takes apart
1
: to disconnect the pieces of (something) : disassemble
take a machine apart
While the giant engines at the Waterworks were being taken apart piece by piece and examined for damage, temporary sources of power were sought.—
Jim Murphy
Jim Murphy2
informal
: to treat (someone or something) roughly or harshly : to tear into
The voice in his head that normally took him apart was cutting him some slack. Every now and then, it actually gave him some credit.—David Corbett
David CorbettExamples of take apart in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Lifestyle For Subscribers 17 groovy shops to add to your Palm Springs bucket list
Feb. 8, 2023
In 2004, the home was taken apart once again following the dissolution of the Islip campus.
—Shane Reiner-Roth, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2024
Like many baby cups, these need to be thoroughly taken apart to clean to prevent mold and bacteria growth in all of its nooks and crannies.
—Lauren Wellbank, Parents, 20 Mar. 2024
Reminiscent of modern-day flatpack furniture, it was taken apart before being placed within the grave.
—Zara Khan, CNN, 5 Feb. 2024
Most of the 150 or so sets of the Sketchbook have been taken apart.
—Brian T. Allen, National Review, 1 Feb. 2024
With 598 pieces, this kit promotes STEM concepts in an exciting way, resulting in a beautiful build to display or take apart and start again.
—Deanna McCormack, Parents, 19 Mar. 2024
For example, several temporary pools will be built for the games, then taken apart and re-installed in communities that have a dearth of public pools.
—Catherine Porter, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2024
Working with event project management firm ES Global, the design will be largely built from recycled materials and is intended to be taken apart and reused.
—Christy Choi, CNN, 31 Jan. 2024
What remains after an aircraft is taken apart, especially metals and plastics, are almost always recycled in some way.
—Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 17 Mar. 2024
Shane Reiner-Roth, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2024
Like many baby cups, these need to be thoroughly taken apart to clean to prevent mold and bacteria growth in all of its nooks and crannies.
—Lauren Wellbank, Parents, 20 Mar. 2024
Reminiscent of modern-day flatpack furniture, it was taken apart before being placed within the grave.
—Zara Khan, CNN, 5 Feb. 2024
Most of the 150 or so sets of the Sketchbook have been taken apart.
—Brian T. Allen, National Review, 1 Feb. 2024
With 598 pieces, this kit promotes STEM concepts in an exciting way, resulting in a beautiful build to display or take apart and start again.
—Deanna McCormack, Parents, 19 Mar. 2024
For example, several temporary pools will be built for the games, then taken apart and re-installed in communities that have a dearth of public pools.
—Catherine Porter, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2024
Working with event project management firm ES Global, the design will be largely built from recycled materials and is intended to be taken apart and reused.
—Christy Choi, CNN, 31 Jan. 2024
What remains after an aircraft is taken apart, especially metals and plastics, are almost always recycled in some way.
—Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 17 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'take apart.' 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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Cite this Entry
“Take apart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20apart. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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