1. to take apart or break down into component parts
2. to analyze by examining the basic elements or structure
3. to challenge or expose the contradictions in an idea or text
Usage: literary criticism; philosophy

Examples

• The workers will deconstruct the old building next week.
• She deconstructed the argument to find its weaknesses.
• The professor asked students to deconstruct the poem’s meaning.
• Engineers deconstructed the failed bridge to understand what went wrong.
• The critic deconstructed the novel’s themes in her review.
• They plan to deconstruct the stage after the performance.