pick apart

Idioms and Phrases

Also, pick holes in or pick to pieces . Find flaws in something by close examination, criticize sharply, as in The lawyer picked apart the testimony , or He found it easy to pick holes in their argument , or The new editor picked her manuscript to pieces . These expressions use pick in the sense of “pierce” or “poke,” a usage dating from the 1300s; pick holes in dates from the mid-1600s, pick to pieces from the mid-1800s.

Example Sentences

Moss picked apart Rutgers’ defense in the first half, completing 14 of his first 16 passes, including a touchdown to Kyle Ford, while Marks ran free on the ground, punching in three touchdowns.

From Los Angeles Times

"They pick apart my body and throw the rest away," she sings.

From BBC

He immersed himself in the world of cinema, watching the same film multiple times, scrutinising the camera shots, analysing its narrative structure and picking apart what made its dialogue sing.

From BBC

The Packers are not a juggernaut, but Jacobs is going against the worst rushing defense statistically in the NFL, and Love is capable of picking apart the interception-starved Rams.

From Los Angeles Times

The Rams are missing a ton of pieces and their secondary is getting picked apart.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• admonish
• berate
• castigate
• chastise
• chide
• denounce
• discipline
• rebuff
• rebuke
• reprimand
• reproach
• scold