Synonyms of dissect

dissect

verb

dī-ˈsekt 

as in to analyze

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• analyze
• examine
• assess
• investigate
• diagnose
• evaluate
• cut
• deconstruct
• divide
• anatomize
• inspect
• scrutinize
• assay
• break down
• classify
• categorize
• tabulate
• codify
• subdivide
• arrange
• enumerate
• catalog
• index
• reduce
• order
• sort
• segment
• separate
• schematize
• catalogue
• diagram
• assort

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• integrate
• synthesize
• consolidate
• aggregate
• assimilate
• unify
• coalesce
• conglomerate
• amalgamate
• agglomerate

Synonym Chooser

How is the word dissect distinct from other similar verbs?

The words analyze and break down are common synonyms of dissect. While all three words mean "to divide a complex whole into its parts or elements," dissect suggests a searching analysis by laying bare parts or pieces for individual scrutiny.

commentators dissected every word of the speech

When might analyze be a better fit than dissect?

The words analyze and dissect are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, analyze suggests separating or distinguishing the component parts of something (such as a substance, a process, a situation) so as to discover its true nature or inner relationships.

analyzed the collected data

When can break down be used instead of dissect?

The meanings of break down and dissect largely overlap; however, break down implies a reducing to simpler parts or divisions.

break down the budget

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of dissect

As with all law cases, this is an onion with a multitude of layers, complications, and a multitude of players involved and further experts have dissected the minute details of the case elements above in their work. —Allison Smith, Forbes.com, 11 Apr. 2025

Stunning pictures show a female baby mammoth, dating back over 130,000 years, recently being dissected by Russian scientists. —Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 8 Apr. 2025

Androgyny plays a factor in Martine Rose, while femininity is dissected through an unabashed use of color and volume in all of Christopher John Rogers’s collections. —Cortne Bonilla, Vogue, 21 Apr. 2025

It has been dissected in many an op-ed or BuzzFeed breakdown, received plenty of TikTok love, and, of course, rose to millennial meme fame. —Sharareh Drury, People.com, 20 Apr. 2025