pick holes in something

pick holes in (something)

To make an effort to find flaws or negative aspects in something through excessive analysis or criticism. Every time I show my brother one of my stories, he just picks holes in it without saying anything that he liked about it. Critics picked holes in his performance, but fans of the franchise seemed to love it.

See also: hole, pick

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

pick holes in something

If you pick holes in something such as an argument or a piece of work, you find mistakes in it to show that it is wrong or of poor quality. They've been picking holes in the evidence ever since the report was published. It's easy to pick holes in a piece of work so long after its publication. Note: Verbs such as poke and shoot can be used instead of pick. The defense lawyers attempted to poke holes in her evidence.

See also: hole, pick, something

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012