anatomize
verb
anat·o·mize
ə-ˈna-tə-ˌmīz 
anatomized; anatomizing
Examples of anatomize in a Sentence
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
Recent Examples on the Web
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
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.
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
Cite this Entry
“Anatomize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anatomize. Accessed 28 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
anatomize
verb
anat·o·mize
ə-ˈnat-ə-ˌmīz
anatomized; anatomizing
: to cut up carefully so as to show or to examine the structure and use of the parts
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share