to poke holes in
5
4.3
- phrasal verb
- Informal
:
criticar
- During the debate, she attempted to poke holes in his argument by pointing out several inconsistencies.
But they're trying to poke holes in in his report.
- But they're trying to poke holes in in his report.
- And so while I am collapsing in pools of my own sweat, he's nonchalantly, casually walking circles around me, poking holes in my world view.
- And it doesn't have to be doesn't have to be like a an interview in which you're trying to poke holes in their story.
- A defense attorney can do a lot to poke holes in touch DNA, and while the knife sheath was found, the knife was not.
- And so they set about and constructing what Marcuse calls critical theory in order to start poking holes in liberal democracy.
Examples
-
Don't poke holes in everything.
-
Public intellectuals in Brazil used the airwaves to poke holes in the strategy.
Blog text (29) -
Why are you trying to poke holes in her story rather than trying to find her?
-
Just asking the questions pokes holes in the myth.
Blog text (26) -
Always, the assumption is that if they can poke holes in the scientific understanding, the only possible alternative is their own particular theology.
Blog text (2) -
Worse is that it's just too easy to poke holes in his central assertions.
Blog text (5) -
Prosecutors easily poked holes in the sensibility of his plan.
Blog text (10) -
Burkhauser has done a wonderful job of poking holes in the methodology of those who have claimed no progress for the middle class.
Blog text (5) -
For more than 2,000 years, historians have made a living poking holes in this legend, pointing out that there are inconsistent versions of the story and that parts of it are simply impossible.
Academic text (2007) -
Ask people—staff members, peers, customers—to poke holes in your ideas and approaches.
Blog text (24)
Synonyms
701
3.3
To say what is wrong with someone or something
21
5.6
To criticize someone or something harshly
21
5.7
To complain about very small unimportant mistakes
15
4.4
To say something is wrong or not good, often about small things
14
5.2
To find faults in ideas or work by pointing out small problems
3
5.7
Keep finding small faults in someone or their ideas
1
7.2
To find and point out weak points in an idea, plan or argument
To find big holes in a law or plan and use them
Antonyms
How Damaging
66
6.3
- Formal
88
6.2
- Informal
5
4.3
701
3.3
- Formal
552
4.3
777
3.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase uses a clear physical metaphor — literally making holes in something — that can be extended to damaging an argument or plan, so a B1 learner who knows 'poke', 'hole', and 'in' can often infer the general idea of finding faults. However, the transfer from physical action to the abstract meaning 'criticize or expose weaknesses' is metaphorical and somewhat idiomatic, so full understanding may require some exposure.
Etymology
The phrasal verb poke holes in comes from the picture of using a pin or finger to poke tiny holes in a balloon or a piece of paper so it becomes weak and falls apart. So, to poke holes in an idea means to show its weak points and 'find faults in' it.