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 Lions picked apart the Green Bay Packers yesterday in rainy conditions to take control of the NFC North with a 24-14 win.
—
Joe Guillen, Axios, 4 Nov. 2024
Safety Devon Key was picked apart by Lamar Jackson, giving up three catches for 98 yards and a passer rating of 158.3, according to Next Gen Stats.
—Ryan McFadden, The Denver Post, 4 Nov. 2024
Just about every aspect of Kendrick Lamar and Drake’s artistry has been picked apart over the course of the months since their explosive feud in the second quarter of the year.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 25 Oct. 2024
Akhtar is a synthesizing playwright interested in picking apart vast systems, whether America’s relationship to Islam or the financial markets, but his writing about AI disappointingly doesn’t untangle much, instead falling into familiar tropes and arguments.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pick apart 
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Joe Guillen, Axios, 4 Nov. 2024
Safety Devon Key was picked apart by Lamar Jackson, giving up three catches for 98 yards and a passer rating of 158.3, according to Next Gen Stats.
—Ryan McFadden, The Denver Post, 4 Nov. 2024
Just about every aspect of Kendrick Lamar and Drake’s artistry has been picked apart over the course of the months since their explosive feud in the second quarter of the year.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 25 Oct. 2024
Akhtar is a synthesizing playwright interested in picking apart vast systems, whether America’s relationship to Islam or the financial markets, but his writing about AI disappointingly doesn’t untangle much, instead falling into familiar tropes and arguments.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2024
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 14 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share