as in analyzing
to identify and examine the basic elements or parts of (something) especially for discovering interrelationships
let's dissect the plot of this thriller to see what makes it thrilling
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Recent Examples of dissecting
That said, most of the reaction to the new footage released this week has been very positive and the trailer has so far racked up more than 130 million views across all social media platforms, with fans dissecting every tiny element.
—
James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 27 Mar. 2026
EntertainmentPulse dedicated a full session to the format, with speakers from Chinese companies including DataEye, Mansen Culture Media and Xiaowu Brothers dissecting both the production economics and the business models driving expansion.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Mar. 2026
Bierman cleverly — and with some humor — shows these characters dissecting their features with dissatisfaction and anxiety.
—Michael Zwiebach, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 Mar. 2026
Sarnoff had the job of dissecting Cornwell’s 29 works, which began rolling out in 1990, for the small screen.
—Erin Jensen, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
Members of the Seattle Seahawks’ front office can puff out their chests this offseason, knowing other teams will be dissecting their roster-building approach in an attempt to replicate it.
—Jeff Howe, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Militaries always maintain secrecy amid armed conflicts, and journalists always gather information from a variety of sources, which in 2026 means scouring commercial satellite imagery and dissecting eyewitness videos to better understand the battlefield.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 4 Mar. 2026
Their greatest pleasure in life is seeing their favorite band play live — grooving out, going nuts, and dissecting every second afterward.
—David Manheim, Rolling Stone, 19 Feb. 2026
Others, engineered either to replicate the biomechanics of human shot delivery or to fire stones consistently with repeatable speed and rotation, are transforming the sport by dissecting technique and strategy with a level of rigor no coach with a stopwatch could match.
—IEEE Spectrum, 18 Feb. 2026
James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 27 Mar. 2026
EntertainmentPulse dedicated a full session to the format, with speakers from Chinese companies including DataEye, Mansen Culture Media and Xiaowu Brothers dissecting both the production economics and the business models driving expansion.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 21 Mar. 2026
Bierman cleverly — and with some humor — shows these characters dissecting their features with dissatisfaction and anxiety.
—Michael Zwiebach, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 Mar. 2026
Sarnoff had the job of dissecting Cornwell’s 29 works, which began rolling out in 1990, for the small screen.
—Erin Jensen, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
Members of the Seattle Seahawks’ front office can puff out their chests this offseason, knowing other teams will be dissecting their roster-building approach in an attempt to replicate it.
—Jeff Howe, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Militaries always maintain secrecy amid armed conflicts, and journalists always gather information from a variety of sources, which in 2026 means scouring commercial satellite imagery and dissecting eyewitness videos to better understand the battlefield.
—Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 4 Mar. 2026
Their greatest pleasure in life is seeing their favorite band play live — grooving out, going nuts, and dissecting every second afterward.
—David Manheim, Rolling Stone, 19 Feb. 2026
Others, engineered either to replicate the biomechanics of human shot delivery or to fire stones consistently with repeatable speed and rotation, are transforming the sport by dissecting technique and strategy with a level of rigor no coach with a stopwatch could match.
—IEEE Spectrum, 18 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dissecting
Verb
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In analyzing the cases of murder exonerees who sued, the Tribune found cases typically spawned roughly 300 docket entries and cost taxpayers nearly $900,000 in legal defense fees as the city often took the cases to the verge of trial before agreeing to pay.—
Joe Mahr,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
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Some have also pointed to the concept of DARVO, a manipulation tactic common in abusive relationships, when analyzing Paul.—
Angela Yang,
NBC news,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the critical minerals landscape as of early 2026, examining individual mineral profiles, supply chain vulnerabilities, geopolitical dynamics, and the technical innovations that may reshape supply over the coming decade.—
Interesting Engineering,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Mar. 2026
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Meanwhile, Soames perambulates a park with Irene, examining works of art in progress.—
Alice Burton,
Vulture,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dissecting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dissecting. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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