deconstruct
Americanverb (used with object)
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deconstructs,
present (3rd person singular)
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deconstructed,
past participle, past
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deconstructing
present participle
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
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deconstructsimple
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deconstructssimple
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have deconstructedperfect
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has deconstructedperfect
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am deconstructingprogressive
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are deconstructingprogressive
-
is deconstructingprogressive
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have been deconstructingperfect progressive
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has been deconstructingperfect progressive
Past
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deconstructedsimple
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had deconstructedperfect
-
was deconstructingprogressive
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were deconstructingprogressive
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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
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Media Literacy - Middle School
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: de-
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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:
This isn’t the kind of delicious, schadenfreude-dipped publishing-world drama about a bad art friend that other writers love to deconstruct in group texts.
From Salon ● Jun. 25, 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
To illustrate how essential bee pollination is to our food supply, Mr. Hanson deconstructs a Big Mac.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
It deconstructs the artifice of a rock show, making The 1975 seem more human - but equally, it deflates the excitement of watching a band in full flow.
From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2025
Sam Adams deconstructs how The Lego Movie transformed the way Hollywood blockbusters are built.
From Slate ● Feb. 7, 2024
Committed to abstraction, “The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci” deconstructs its own stage magic.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 31, 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
Fielder tells Holmes that he was reminded of the bit the day before, when Holmes tried to describe the science and intention of Theranos in front of its deconstructed prototype.
From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2026
The museum has deconstructed the traditional, boxy narrative of art history and rendered the story itself a matter of curves and continuities.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2026
Grammy-winning singers Chappell Roan and Lola Young attended Vivienne Westwood's show and were clearly inspired by the late designer's deconstructed boudoir look.
From BBC ● Mar. 10, 2026
Trump offered to build a modular ballroom at the White House that could be deconstructed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2025
On the other hand, Adams possessed a congenital affinity for deconstructed interpretations of history, of his own life, indeed of practically everything.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
When the world order they were constructed within is deconstructing in dramatic fashion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 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
As Gadsby toured “Nanette,” they found themself exploring the very nature of comedy, breaking down the traditional joke form of set-up/punchline, and deconstructing what a comedy special can be.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 20, 2024
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
Whenever she was really scared or freaking out, the same thing always happened: she began to dissociate, reality loosening around her like a hammock deconstructing itself, spilling her out into sands of nothingness.
From "Pet" by Akwaeke Emezi
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
