verb
dismantle
dihs-MANT-uh
verb
1
To take something apart piece by piece.
"It took two engineers all day to dismantle the old machine."
2
To methodically take down or destroy a system, argument, or organization.
"The lawyer dismantled the witness's story point by point."
How to Use Dismantle
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo break something down into its parts, whether that's a machine, a building, or an argument.
Common pairings
dismantle a bomb
dismantle an argument
dismantle the system
Word Forms
dismantled past tense, dismantles singular
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It took two engineers all day to _____ the old machine.
Etymology
From Middle French desmanteler, literally "to strip off a cloak" (des- + mantel, "coat"), later broadened to mean taking anything apart.