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
The nation’s top pass efficiency defense was picked apart by Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard, who had more touchdown passes (two) than incompletions (one) in the first half.
—
Pete Sampson, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025
The Warriors methodically picked apart the Wizards’ backline rotations, which led to open shots at the rim and on the perimeter.
—Nathan Canilao, The Mercury News, 18 Jan. 2025
The media and pundits have already started to pick apart Biden's speech, which included several bold statements about the country and has ruffled some feathers.
—Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 16 Jan. 2025
Goff has never been a prolific deep passer, however, which left him with the first option: identifying and picking apart Flores’ many, many blitzes.
—Derrik Klassen, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for pick apart 
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Pete Sampson, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025
The Warriors methodically picked apart the Wizards’ backline rotations, which led to open shots at the rim and on the perimeter.
—Nathan Canilao, The Mercury News, 18 Jan. 2025
The media and pundits have already started to pick apart Biden's speech, which included several bold statements about the country and has ruffled some feathers.
—Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 16 Jan. 2025
Goff has never been a prolific deep passer, however, which left him with the first option: identifying and picking apart Flores’ many, many blitzes.
—Derrik Klassen, The Athletic, 8 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for pick apart
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 28 Jan. 2025.
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