apart
♦♦ apart1 /əp'ɑːrt/ (apart) POSITIONS AND STATES
In addition to the uses shown below, apart is used in phrasal verbs such as `grow apart' and `take apart'.
1 [ADV] ADV after v, oft ADV from n
When people or things are apart, they are some distance from each other.
He was standing a bit apart from the rest of us, watching us...
Ray and sister Renee lived just 25 miles apart from each other.
...regions that were too far apart to have any way of knowing about each other...
2 [ADV] ADV after v
If two people or things move apart or are pulled apart, they move away from each other.
John and Isabelle moved apart, back into the sun...
He tried in vain to keep the two dogs apart before the neighbour intervened.
3 [ADV] be ADV, ADV after v
If two people are apart, they are no longer living together or spending time together, either permanently or just for a short time.
It was the first time Jane and I had been apart for more than a few days...
Mum and Dad live apart.
4 [ADV] ADV after v
If you take something apart, you separate it into the pieces that it is made of. If it comes or falls apart, its parts separate from each other.
When the clock stopped he took it apart to find out what was wrong...
Many school buildings are unsafe, and some are falling apart.
5 [ADV] ADV after v
If something such as an organization or relationship falls apart, or if something tears it apart, it can no longer continue because it has serious difficulties.
Any manager knows that his company will start falling apart if his attention wanders...
6 [ADV] ADV after v, n ADV
If something sets someone or something apart, it makes them different from other people or things.
What really sets Mr Thaksin apart is that he comes from northern Thailand...
7 [ADJ] v-link amount ADJ, oft ADJ on n
If people or groups are a long way apart on a particular topic or issue, they have completely different views and disagree about it.
Their concept of a performance and our concept were miles apart.
8 [PHRASE] V inflects, usu with brd-neg
If you can't tell two people or things apart, they look exactly the same to you.
I can still only tell Mark and Dave apart by the colour of their shoes!♦ apart2 /əp'ɑːrt/ (apart) INDICATING EXCEPTIONS AND FOCUSING
1 [PREP-PHRASE]
You use apart from when you are making an exception to a general statement.
She was the only British competitor apart from Richard Meade.
2 [ADV] n ADV
You use apart when you are making an exception to a general statement.
This was, New York apart, the first American city I had ever been in where people actually lived downtown.
= excepted
3 [PREP-PHRASE]
You use apart from to indicate that you are aware of one aspect of a situation, but that you are going to focus on another aspect.
Illiteracy threatens Britain's industrial performance. But, quite apart from that, the individual who can't read or write is unlikely to get a job...fall apart
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V P
If something falls apart, it breaks into pieces because it is old or badly made.
The work was never finished and bit by bit the building fell apart.
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V P, V P
If an organization or system falls apart, it becomes disorganized or unable to work effectively, or breaks up into its different parts.
Europe's monetary system is falling apart...
I've tried everything to stop our marriage falling apart.
= break down
3 [PHRASAL VERB] V P
If you say that someone is falling apart, you mean that they are becoming emotionally disturbed and are unable to think calmly or to deal with the difficult or unpleasant situation that they are in. (INFORMAL)
I was falling apart. I wasn't getting any sleep.
= crack upgrow apart
[PHRASAL VERB] pl-n V P, V P from n
If people who have a close relationship grow apart, they gradually start to have different interests and opinions from each other, and their relationship starts to fail.
He and his wife grew apart...
It sounds as if you have grown apart from Tom.set apart
[PHRASAL VERB] V n P from n, V n P
If a characteristic sets you apart from other people, it makes you different from the others in a noticeable way.
What sets it apart from hundreds of similar small French towns is the huge factory...
Li blends right into the crowd of teenagers. Only his accent sets him apart.take apart
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V n P
If you take something apart, you separate it into the different parts that it is made of.
When the clock stopped, he took it apart, found what was wrong, and put the whole thing together again.
= dismantle
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V n P, V P n (not pron)
If you take apart something such as an argument or an idea, you show what its weaknesses are, usually by analyzing it carefully.
They will take that problem apart and analyze it in great detail...
He proceeds to take apart every preconception anyone might have ever had about him.tear apart
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V n P
If something tears people apart, it causes them to quarrel or to leave each other.
War and revolution have torn families apart.
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V n P
If something tears you apart, it makes you feel very upset, worried, and unhappy.
Don't think it hasn't torn me apart to be away from you.tell apart
[PHRASAL VERB] V n P
If you can tell people or things apart, you are able to recognize the differences between them and can therefore identify each of them.
Perhaps it is the almost universal use of flavourings that makes it so hard to tell the products apart.
In addition to the uses shown below, apart is used in phrasal verbs such as `grow apart' and `take apart'.
1 [ADV] ADV after v, oft ADV from n
When people or things are apart, they are some distance from each other.
He was standing a bit apart from the rest of us, watching us...
Ray and sister Renee lived just 25 miles apart from each other.
...regions that were too far apart to have any way of knowing about each other...
2 [ADV] ADV after v
If two people or things move apart or are pulled apart, they move away from each other.
John and Isabelle moved apart, back into the sun...
He tried in vain to keep the two dogs apart before the neighbour intervened.
3 [ADV] be ADV, ADV after v
If two people are apart, they are no longer living together or spending time together, either permanently or just for a short time.
It was the first time Jane and I had been apart for more than a few days...
Mum and Dad live apart.
4 [ADV] ADV after v
If you take something apart, you separate it into the pieces that it is made of. If it comes or falls apart, its parts separate from each other.
When the clock stopped he took it apart to find out what was wrong...
Many school buildings are unsafe, and some are falling apart.
5 [ADV] ADV after v
If something such as an organization or relationship falls apart, or if something tears it apart, it can no longer continue because it has serious difficulties.
Any manager knows that his company will start falling apart if his attention wanders...
6 [ADV] ADV after v, n ADV
If something sets someone or something apart, it makes them different from other people or things.
What really sets Mr Thaksin apart is that he comes from northern Thailand...
7 [ADJ] v-link amount ADJ, oft ADJ on n
If people or groups are a long way apart on a particular topic or issue, they have completely different views and disagree about it.
Their concept of a performance and our concept were miles apart.
8 [PHRASE] V inflects, usu with brd-neg
If you can't tell two people or things apart, they look exactly the same to you.
I can still only tell Mark and Dave apart by the colour of their shoes!♦ apart2 /əp'ɑːrt/ (apart) INDICATING EXCEPTIONS AND FOCUSING
1 [PREP-PHRASE]
You use apart from when you are making an exception to a general statement.
She was the only British competitor apart from Richard Meade.
2 [ADV] n ADV
You use apart when you are making an exception to a general statement.
This was, New York apart, the first American city I had ever been in where people actually lived downtown.
= excepted
3 [PREP-PHRASE]
You use apart from to indicate that you are aware of one aspect of a situation, but that you are going to focus on another aspect.
Illiteracy threatens Britain's industrial performance. But, quite apart from that, the individual who can't read or write is unlikely to get a job...fall apart
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V P
If something falls apart, it breaks into pieces because it is old or badly made.
The work was never finished and bit by bit the building fell apart.
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V P, V P
If an organization or system falls apart, it becomes disorganized or unable to work effectively, or breaks up into its different parts.
Europe's monetary system is falling apart...
I've tried everything to stop our marriage falling apart.
= break down
3 [PHRASAL VERB] V P
If you say that someone is falling apart, you mean that they are becoming emotionally disturbed and are unable to think calmly or to deal with the difficult or unpleasant situation that they are in. (INFORMAL)
I was falling apart. I wasn't getting any sleep.
= crack upgrow apart
[PHRASAL VERB] pl-n V P, V P from n
If people who have a close relationship grow apart, they gradually start to have different interests and opinions from each other, and their relationship starts to fail.
He and his wife grew apart...
It sounds as if you have grown apart from Tom.set apart
[PHRASAL VERB] V n P from n, V n P
If a characteristic sets you apart from other people, it makes you different from the others in a noticeable way.
What sets it apart from hundreds of similar small French towns is the huge factory...
Li blends right into the crowd of teenagers. Only his accent sets him apart.take apart
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V n P
If you take something apart, you separate it into the different parts that it is made of.
When the clock stopped, he took it apart, found what was wrong, and put the whole thing together again.
= dismantle
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V n P, V P n (not pron)
If you take apart something such as an argument or an idea, you show what its weaknesses are, usually by analyzing it carefully.
They will take that problem apart and analyze it in great detail...
He proceeds to take apart every preconception anyone might have ever had about him.tear apart
1 [PHRASAL VERB] V n P
If something tears people apart, it causes them to quarrel or to leave each other.
War and revolution have torn families apart.
2 [PHRASAL VERB] V n P
If something tears you apart, it makes you feel very upset, worried, and unhappy.
Don't think it hasn't torn me apart to be away from you.tell apart
[PHRASAL VERB] V n P
If you can tell people or things apart, you are able to recognize the differences between them and can therefore identify each of them.
Perhaps it is the almost universal use of flavourings that makes it so hard to tell the products apart.