Synonyms of dissect

dissect

verb

dī-ˈsekt 

as in to analyze

to identify and examine the basic elements or parts of (something) especially for discovering interrelationships

let's dissect the plot of this thriller to see what makes it thrilling

Synonyms & Similar Words

• analyze
• examine
• assess
• investigate
• diagnose
• evaluate
• cut
• deconstruct
• divide
• anatomize
• inspect
• scrutinize
• assay
• break down
• classify
• categorize
• tabulate
• codify
• subdivide
• arrange
• enumerate
• catalog
• index
• reduce
• order
• sort
• segment
• separate
• schematize
• catalogue
• diagram
• assort

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• integrate
• synthesize
• consolidate
• aggregate
• assimilate
• unify
• coalesce
• conglomerate
• amalgamate
• agglomerate

Synonym Chooser

How is the word dissect distinct from other similar verbs?

The words analyze and break down are common synonyms of dissect. While all three words mean "to divide a complex whole into its parts or elements," dissect suggests a searching analysis by laying bare parts or pieces for individual scrutiny.

commentators dissected every word of the speech

When might analyze be a better fit than dissect?

The words analyze and dissect are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, analyze suggests separating or distinguishing the component parts of something (such as a substance, a process, a situation) so as to discover its true nature or inner relationships.

analyzed the collected data

When can break down be used instead of dissect?

The meanings of break down and dissect largely overlap; however, break down implies a reducing to simpler parts or divisions.

break down the budget

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of dissect

Characters dissect its backstory and hypothesize about its potential to inflict traumatic brain injuries from afar. —Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025

Recall the scene where Elliot frees the frogs about to be dissected in that film. —Erik Kain, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025

Rather than let their bodies go to waste, Alyssa’s team dissected them, meticulously preserving their muscles, organs, and brains for studies attempting to connect the monkeys’ social lives to their anatomy and genetics. —Celia Ford, Vox, 3 Mar. 2025

Stefanik, Senator John Fetterman, and others excoriated Masoud from Washington, and the event was dissected in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and the Daily Mail. —Nathan Heller, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025