pick apart
Third Person
picks apart
Present Participle
picking apart
Past Tense
picked apart
Past Participle
picked apart
1
to break something down into its individual pieces
- After the clock stopped working, he decided to pick it apart to find the issue.
- The curious kids decided to pick apart the toy to see what was inside.
- During the workshop, they learned how to pick apart a computer to replace faulty components.
- To understand the mechanism, the engineer had to pick the device apart.
- She decided to pick apart the old sewing machine to clean and oil its inner workings.
2
to criticize something and mentioning all the flaws or negatives in a detailed and unkind way
- She's always quick to pick apart my choices, no matter what I decide.
- It's easy to pick apart someone else's work without offering constructive feedback.
- Instead of supporting each other, the group members tended to pick apart each other's suggestions.
- Instead of appreciating the effort, he chose to pick apart her project for minor errors.
- The manager decided to pick apart the proposal during the meeting, questioning each assumption.
Antonyms:
3
to masterfully overcome someone or something
- with their well-choreographed routine, the dance troupe managed to pick apart the competition.
- The racing driver picked apart the circuit's trickiest turns, achieving a record-breaking time.
- The pianist picked apart the composition's most challenging sections, delivering a mesmerizing performance.
- The reigning champion picked apart every challenger that stepped into the ring.
- With a deep understanding of the game, she easily picked apart her opponents on the chessboard.