pick apart

1. 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

That was plenty for Snell, who picked apart a Reds offense that ranked just 14th in scoring and 19th in batting average during the regular season.

From Los Angeles Times

Spectators queued daily to nab a spot in the courtroom, thousands of people picked apart details of the case online, and journalists descended from around the world to cover the lengthy trial.

From BBC

The destructive forehand - her most effective tool on the clay - has lost some of its reliability, while her service game has been picked apart by big-hitting opponents.

From BBC

Her destructive forehand - arguably her most effective tool - has lost its reliability, while her service game has been picked apart by big-hitting opponents.

From BBC

And having been one myself not very long ago, I was already well aware of people’s inclination to relentlessly pick apart the actions of teenage girls.

From Salon

Related Words

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