pick apart
phrasal 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
My character being picked apart by people who don't know me and disrespecting my name.
—
Shania Russell, EW.com, 1 Apr. 2024
As much as experts will pick apart the South Carolina results and make bets on Haley’s chances ahead, many Republicans backing Trump have been ready to move on.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY, 25 Feb. 2024
After all, in that movie, a 12-man research station in Antarctica is picked apart by a shapeshifting being.
—William Earl, Variety, 15 Jan. 2024
In his absence, reporters have gone through the motions of picking apart each tete-a-tete as part of a rapid-fire and never-ending news cycle, with the recognition that in the end, the primary would likely remain unchanged.
—Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 21 Dec. 2023
They were chosen five picks apart, with Brook as 10th overall by the Brooklyn Nets and Robin as 15th overall by the Phoenix Suns.
—Skyler Trepel, Peoplemag, 27 Mar. 2024
The Jayhawks struggled to keep Gonzaga from its spots on offense and the ball-screen defense was picked apart.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 23 Mar. 2024
When William and Kate had the audacity to visit a farm store, in Windsor, and the misfortune to be filmed in the act, the visual testimony was swiftly picked apart.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2024
The injury to Dre Greenlaw contributed, but San Francisco playing soft coverage, perhaps to compensate for fatigue, allowed Mahomes to pick apart the coverages.
—Steve Gardner, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2024
Shania Russell, EW.com, 1 Apr. 2024
As much as experts will pick apart the South Carolina results and make bets on Haley’s chances ahead, many Republicans backing Trump have been ready to move on.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY, 25 Feb. 2024
After all, in that movie, a 12-man research station in Antarctica is picked apart by a shapeshifting being.
—William Earl, Variety, 15 Jan. 2024
In his absence, reporters have gone through the motions of picking apart each tete-a-tete as part of a rapid-fire and never-ending news cycle, with the recognition that in the end, the primary would likely remain unchanged.
—Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 21 Dec. 2023
They were chosen five picks apart, with Brook as 10th overall by the Brooklyn Nets and Robin as 15th overall by the Phoenix Suns.
—Skyler Trepel, Peoplemag, 27 Mar. 2024
The Jayhawks struggled to keep Gonzaga from its spots on offense and the ball-screen defense was picked apart.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 23 Mar. 2024
When William and Kate had the audacity to visit a farm store, in Windsor, and the misfortune to be filmed in the act, the visual testimony was swiftly picked apart.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2024
The injury to Dre Greenlaw contributed, but San Francisco playing soft coverage, perhaps to compensate for fatigue, allowed Mahomes to pick apart the coverages.
—Steve Gardner, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pick apart.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near pick apart
Cite this Entry
“Pick apart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pick%20apart. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share