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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Animation scholars have picked apart this show’s history as a unique case study from an evolving time in kids’ entertainment. —

Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 13 Dec. 2024 Horton and Tucker have maintained that every miss is a separate issue to be picked apart separately. —

Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 18 Nov. 2024 Miami finished with just 17 points, but Tagovailoa picked apart Green Bay’s secondary all night. —

Rob Reischel, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2024 These often tedious stretches of talk-show appearances, red carpets, and press junkets that have been part of the Hollywood grind for decades are suddenly getting as much attention on social media as the films themselves, with the stars’ interactions being picked apart by fans. —

Vox Staff, Vox, 27 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pick apart