take apart

verb

took apart; taken apart; taking apart; takes apart

transitive verb

1
: to disconnect the pieces of (something) : disassemble
take a machine apart
While the giant engines at the Waterworks were being taken apart piece by piece and examined for damage, temporary sources of power were sought.Jim Murphy
2
informal : to treat (someone or something) roughly or harshly : to tear into
The voice in his head that normally took him apart was cutting him some slack. Every now and then, it actually gave him some credit.David Corbett

Examples of take apart in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
And now that system is being taken apart, piece by piece. Umair Irfan, Vox, 12 May 2025 There were times during its opening-round series with the Dallas Stars when the Avalanche took apart a Stanley Cup contender with ease. Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 12 May 2025 Marocco played an important part in the Trump administration’s efforts to take apart USAID and was an acting deputy director for the agency at one point. Tara Suter, The Hill, 14 Apr. 2025 And also yours to squander, to take apart and reconfigure, even to lose. A.o. Scott, New York Times, 2 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for take apart

Word History

First Known Use

1744, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of take apart was in 1744

Cite this Entry

“Take apart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20apart. Accessed 18 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on take apart

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