as in to analyze
to identify and examine the basic elements or parts of (something) especially for discovering interrelationships if you anatomize the problem, you'll see it stems from a combination of her bad behavior and your unwillingness to speak to her about it

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of anatomize In The Rings of Saturn, W. G. Sebald anatomizes this depiction of a celebrated anatomy lesson, observing the improbably formal clothing of the men surrounding the prone cadaver, who wear opulent lace ruffs, while Tulp himself sports a wide-brimmed and high-crowned hat. Will Self, Harper's Magazine, 12 Sep. 2022 Her article deftly anatomizes Russia’s failures, but also goes into alarming depth about how the military leadership can call on hundreds of thousands of recruits, and better exploit the resources of a vast country to inflict greater pain on Ukraine. David Remnick, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2023 The critic will anatomize the subject from several angles. WIRED, 23 Feb. 2023 All of these exhibitions leave one feeling slightly guilty: The curators try to anatomize how power works, the strategies of mythmaking and image management, but the material on view is so seductive one forgets the larger intellectual construct. Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 30 Dec. 2022 The film joins countless other creative efforts to understand and anatomize the movie star born Norma Jeane Mortensen, including biopics, TV series, biographies, photo books, essays, and even plays. Nathan Smith, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2022 And some of it was a compulsive need to re-define and re-anatomize what Carmichael and Hamilton had already defined and anatomized so well. Samanth Subramanian, Quartz, 1 Apr. 2021 Kundera, meanwhile, made his career on novels that anatomized kitsch and subsequently became kitsch, thanks to a generation of earnest high schoolers. Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 9 Oct. 2019 This is just one of many intergenerational failings that Kafka anatomizes. Jeremy Eichler, BostonGlobe.com, 18 June 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anatomize
Verb
  • Get out of the way, nerds, some of us cool kids are trying to analyze decades-old YouTube sports clips.
    Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 20 June 2025
  • Create a system to analyze triggers and leverage them for self-development.
    Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
Verb
  • Her every move and fashion choice was dissected ad nauseum.
    Marc Malkin, Variety, 19 June 2025
  • However, some families may need to further dissect some of the more complex themes with kids afterwards.
    Lynnette Nicholas, Parents, 17 June 2025
Verb
  • In the film, the trio each examine a different Ms. cover story to honor the legacy of the magazine.
    Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 27 June 2025
  • The Congress must thoroughly examine this decision by the Supreme Court to find ways to legislate and protect the Constitutional right to citizenship for all those born in America.
    Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 27 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Anatomize.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anatomize. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

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