unpick

Everyday

1. To unpick is to take out the stitches of sewing or knitting carefully, one by one. tree →
2. (figurative) To take apart a problem, plan or argument carefully to understand it or undo it. tree →

In the lessons

In textiles and sewing lessons: if you make a mistake, unpick the stitches with a seam ripper. In maths and reading lessons: «Let's unpick this question» = look at each part. Phrases: unpick a seam, unpick a problem.

Examples

• I sewed it wrong, so I had to unpick the seam. tree →
• Use the seam ripper to unpick the stitches. tree →
• Nan unpicked the old jumper to reuse the wool. tree →
• Let's unpick this word problem step by step. tree →
• The detective unpicked the story bit by bit. tree →
• It took an hour to unpick the knots. tree →
• "All the embroidery is unpicked," said the Princess, sighing. tree →

Note

Regular: unpicked. Mainly UK; US often «take out stitches» or «rip out». Figurative use is common in British classrooms.