take apart
verb
took apart; taken apart; taking apart; takes apart
1
: to disconnect the pieces of (something) : disassemble
take a machine apart
While the giant engines at the Waterworks were being taken apart piece by piece and examined for damage, temporary sources of power were sought.—
Jim Murphy
Jim Murphy2
informal
: to treat (someone or something) roughly or harshly : to tear into
The voice in his head that normally took him apart was cutting him some slack. Every now and then, it actually gave him some credit.—David Corbett
David CorbettExamples of take apart in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Ukraine transferred the last of its nuclear warheads for dismantlement in 1996, and its last strategic nuclear delivery vehicle was taken apart in 2001.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2024
These houses are tiny and were constructed in a way in which they could be easily taken apart and loaded onto carts, should the residents be forced out by their former enslavers.
—Farah Nibbs, The Conversation, 22 Oct. 2024
University of Surrey’s Woodward, who regularly takes apart consumer devices, points out that within modern smartphones there is very limited space to insert anything extra, and the manufacturing process can involve robots precisely placing components on top of each other.
—Lily Hay Newman Matt Burgess, WIRED, 19 Sep. 2024
One of the most interesting is a submarine set, which is built to be taken apart and filmed in pieces.
—Ryan Fleming, Deadline, 22 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for take apart 
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Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2024
These houses are tiny and were constructed in a way in which they could be easily taken apart and loaded onto carts, should the residents be forced out by their former enslavers.
—Farah Nibbs, The Conversation, 22 Oct. 2024
University of Surrey’s Woodward, who regularly takes apart consumer devices, points out that within modern smartphones there is very limited space to insert anything extra, and the manufacturing process can involve robots precisely placing components on top of each other.
—Lily Hay Newman Matt Burgess, WIRED, 19 Sep. 2024
One of the most interesting is a submarine set, which is built to be taken apart and filmed in pieces.
—Ryan Fleming, Deadline, 22 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for take apart
Dictionary Entries Near take apart
Cite this Entry
“Take apart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20apart. Accessed 2 Jan. 2025.
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