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
Winnipeg’s Round 2 series loss can be picked apart in a number of ways.
—
Murat Ates, New York Times, 18 May 2025
Belichick’s relationship with Jordon Hudson has been placed under the microscope and it has been picked apart routinely since the disastrous interview with CBS.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 13 May 2025
During Grasso’s unanimous decision loss to Silva, she was picked apart by the Brazilian’s combination of speed and striking accuracy.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
Although internet fashion fans wasted no time picking apart outfits that seemingly didn’t follow the theme—a lot of stars also relied on their beauty looks to tell the story.
—Kleigh Balugo, StyleCaster, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for pick apart
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Murat Ates, New York Times, 18 May 2025
Belichick’s relationship with Jordon Hudson has been placed under the microscope and it has been picked apart routinely since the disastrous interview with CBS.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 13 May 2025
During Grasso’s unanimous decision loss to Silva, she was picked apart by the Brazilian’s combination of speed and striking accuracy.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
Although internet fashion fans wasted no time picking apart outfits that seemingly didn’t follow the theme—a lot of stars also relied on their beauty looks to tell the story.
—Kleigh Balugo, StyleCaster, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for pick apart
Cite this Entry
“Pick apart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pick%20apart. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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