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
Boyle has been candid about why she's been absent from the spotlight in recent years, opening up to PEOPLE in an exclusive interview in July 2024 about her days being followed by tabloids, which picked apart her thin frame and her former romance with Jack Nicholson, 88.
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Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 15 June 2025
And all this stuff gets picked apart endlessly in the media, on social media.
—Lulu Garcia-Navarro, New York Times, 31 May 2025
One of Combs’ attorneys, Nicole Westmoreland, picked apart the ways in which Bongolan’s story changed throughout various meetings with federal prosecutors, which occurred as recently as Monday.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 4 June 2025
The shove and Macron’s uncomfortable facial expressions continue to be picked apart in the international press, but the Macrons have appeared arm-in-arm for multiple events following the moment.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 27 May 2025
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Charlotte Phillipp, People.com, 15 June 2025
And all this stuff gets picked apart endlessly in the media, on social media.
—Lulu Garcia-Navarro, New York Times, 31 May 2025
One of Combs’ attorneys, Nicole Westmoreland, picked apart the ways in which Bongolan’s story changed throughout various meetings with federal prosecutors, which occurred as recently as Monday.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 4 June 2025
The shove and Macron’s uncomfortable facial expressions continue to be picked apart in the international press, but the Macrons have appeared arm-in-arm for multiple events following the moment.
—Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 27 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 30 Jun. 2025.
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