deconstruct
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
-
to apply the theories of deconstruction to (a text, film, etc)
-
to expose or dismantle the existing structure in (a system, organization, etc)
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
deconstructsimple
-
deconstructssimple
-
have deconstructedperfect
-
has deconstructedperfect
-
am deconstructingprogressive
-
are deconstructingprogressive
-
is deconstructingprogressive
-
have been deconstructingperfect progressive
-
has been deconstructingperfect progressive
Past
-
deconstructedsimple
-
had deconstructedperfect
-
was deconstructingprogressive
-
were deconstructingprogressive
-
had been deconstructingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of deconstruct
Apparently back formation from deconstruction
Explanation
To deconstruct a piece of writing or a work of art is to analyze it by carefully examining its ideas and language, especially to expose its contradictions and hidden meanings. An English professor can show you how to deconstruct a novel or poem, deciphering its individual parts, pulling them apart, and scrutinizing them for deeper meaning. Proving that a written text isn't what it initially seems to be is one goal of someone who deconstructs in this way — a graduate student might deconstruct "The Wizard of Oz," for example, and declare that it's actually an allegory for nineteenth century economics, rather than a children's story.
Vocabulary lists containing deconstruct
Media Literacy - High School
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Media Literacy - Middle School
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: de-
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Instead, think only of the 10 to the 53rd power artificial humans who may or may not come into existence on Venus in 10,000 years, when we deconstruct it and turn it into computronium.
From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026
Mr. Enrigue feels called upon to deconstruct the genre of the western, even if that means undermining the excellent story in his own novel.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 5, 2026
It was shut down in 2022 and sold to Holtec, which was expected to deconstruct the buildings and store the nuclear waste.
From Barron's ● Feb. 9, 2026
“The fact the tariffs have come down is giving retailers pause when they consider a deconstruct, as they have to balance ‘shelf appeal’ against value or cost increases,” Foreman said.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 8, 2026
An older school of historians and philosophers took this framework for granted, while a newer school has wanted to debunk or deconstruct the concepts rather than explain their significance and trace their origin.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
In its meta construction, “Invention” artfully deconstructs our thirst for knowledge and how easily we’re swayed, even when we believe we’re the smartest one in the room.
From Salon ● Dec. 5, 2025
Sam Adams deconstructs how The Lego Movie transformed the way Hollywood blockbusters are built.
From Slate ● Feb. 7, 2024
Without needlessly mocking her earnest subject, Hess devastatingly deconstructs the culture of online fandom through the lens of an overpriced stationary bike’s LED display.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2023
A line of machines deconstructs polypropylene plastic from the backing layer of carpets, before creating pellets that can be used in new carpets, car body bumpers and storage containers.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2023
"I'm beginning to think you shouldn't have started reading comics with a book that completely deconstructs the last fifty years of the genre," he said.
From "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell
As a result, a visitor can easily feel disoriented, or in my case, a touch deconstructed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026
To highlight this concern, Colas deconstructed the nominal daily 5-year U.S.
From MarketWatch ● May 4, 2026
The art that he created there embodies a kind of deconstructed narcissism; Samaras is fascinated with himself, but mostly as—to paraphrase the photographer Garry Winogrand’s choice of subjects—“something to be photographed.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 25, 2026
Spotify Wrapped bares our souls and provides us the opportunity to see ourselves deconstructed via our musical inclinations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 26, 2025
Nan looked at the deconstructed bike and then back and forth between Abby and me.
From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry
When the world order they were constructed within is deconstructing in dramatic fashion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026
We like deconstructing it as fans of film and television.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 17, 2026
A small team in the U.S. military’s research and engineering office put together plans to build an attack drone based on deconstructing a Shahed the military had recovered from Ukraine.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 1, 2026
Ms Beer said her hearing loss and the music she created as a result of it was helping to raise awareness of environmental issues, as well as deconstructing stereotypes about disability.
From BBC ● Apr. 21, 2024
My artwork isn’t evolving, it’s deconstructing, and I don’t know why.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
