take to pieces

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"Yet," he proceeds, "those despicable clothes had, at different periods of time, bedecked real lords and dukes," and were of considerable value, if only to strip of their decorations and take to pieces.

From A Book of the Play Studies and Illustrations of Histrionic Story, Life, and Character by Cook, Dutton

When he was only twelve years old he was able to take to pieces and reset the family clock and a patent lever watch, using no tool for this purpose but his pocket-knife.

From Great Fortunes, and How They Were Made by McCabe, James Dabney

I can tell you beforehand, the Princess will nail you three riddles together that it would take Old Moore himself seven years to take to pieces, Heaven knows.

From Turandot, Princess of China A Chinoiserie in Three Acts by Bithell, Jethro

Grenfell helped take to pieces a "sulphur-bottom" whale ninety-five feet long, supposed to weigh nearly 300,000 pounds.

From Grenfell: Knight-Errant of the North by Waldo, Fullerton

For, alas! we know only that which we can take to pieces.

From The German Classics of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries, Volume 03 Masterpieces of German Literature Translated into English. in Twenty Volumes by Francke, Kuno