picks apart
Critiques in detail
To pick something apart is to examine it critically, finding flaws or weaknesses piece by piece.
The image is of dismantling something with careful, persistent attention: The defense attorney picked apart the witness's testimony.
You can pick apart an argument, a proposal, or someone's work.
The phrase suggests thorough, sometimes excessive criticism—less about understanding than about exposing problems.
- unpickRemove stitches methodically
- exploresInvestigates unfamiliar territory
- separatesDivides into portions
- questionsRequests for information
- untanglesSeparates what's knotted
dissects · breaks down · critiques · troubleshoots · delves · diagnoses · scrutinizes · examines · parses · decodes · fine-tooth comb · researches · nitpicks · finds fault · slices · carves · analyzes · identifies
- criticismscriticizes, disparages, condemns, denounces, censures
picks aparttakes at face value
Believes as presented
buys into · embraces · accepts · goes along with · rubber-stamps
picks apartputs together
Combines into a whole
assembles · pieces together · constructs · builds · synthesizes
pick, picks, picked, picking, picker, pickers, apart, part, parts