take apart

take someone apart 

1. Sl. to beat someone up. (See also take something apart.) Don't talk to me that way, or I'll take you apart. He was so mad that I thought he was going to take apart all of us.

2. Inf. to criticize or defame someone or something. They really took me apart, but I just ignore bad reviews. The editorial took apart the entire city government.

See also: apart, take

take something apart 

1. Lit. to disassemble something. (See also take someone apart.) Bobby took his bicycle apart. You take apart everything that is mechanical.

2. Fig. to damage or ruin something. The wreck took both cars apart. The high wind took apart the roof and the fence.

3. Fig. to criticize something severely. The critic took the play apart. The teacher took apart John's essay in front of the class.

See also: apart, take

---

take somebody apart

to try to understand a person by examining their personality and character That psychiatrist wanted to take me apart to see what makes me tick.

Etymology: based on the literal meaning of take something apart (separate the parts of something)

See also: apart, take

take something apart also take apart something

to examine something carefully in order to completely understand it I decided to take apart this popular word “subculture” and see what it really means.

Etymology: based on the literal meaning of take something apart (separate the parts of something)

See also: apart, take