take apart
verb
took apart; taken apart; taking apart; takes apart
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
Jim Murphy2
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
David CorbettExamples of take apart in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Wholesale changes to the heat shield would delay the Artemis II mission at least a year, and probably longer, to take apart the Orion spacecraft, develop and implement a solution, and then reassemble the spacecraft.
—Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 26 July 2024
The former case manager, Bridgett Warren Campbell, said employees would buy diapers from the local Sam's Club store, then take apart the packages.
—CBS News, 9 July 2024
In designing the rubble and destruction, Sullivan and Parker dressed and designed the homes before they were taken apart, making sure remnants of people’s lives were as present as the destruction itself.
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 20 July 2024
They can be taken apart in the winter and packed up during a move.
—Sami Sparber, Axios, 20 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for take apart 
Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 26 July 2024
The former case manager, Bridgett Warren Campbell, said employees would buy diapers from the local Sam's Club store, then take apart the packages.
—CBS News, 9 July 2024
In designing the rubble and destruction, Sullivan and Parker dressed and designed the homes before they were taken apart, making sure remnants of people’s lives were as present as the destruction itself.
—Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 20 July 2024
They can be taken apart in the winter and packed up during a move.
—Sami Sparber, Axios, 20 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for take apart
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'take apart.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near take apart
Cite this Entry
“Take apart.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20apart. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share