to dismantle / to demolish
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to dismantle
To take something apart into its individual parts, for example a machine, a piece of furniture, or a system.
Der Mechaniker musste den gesamten Motor demontieren, um den Schaden zu finden.
The mechanic had to dismantle the entire engine to find the damage.
The verb 'demontieren' (to dismantle) is the opposite of 'montieren' (to assemble). The prefix 'de-' here expresses reversal or removal.
Zuerst müssen wir das alte Regal demontieren, bevor wir das neue aufbauen.
First we have to dismantle the old shelf before we assemble the new one.
The meaning depends on the object. If it is a physical object (engine, cabinet), taking it apart is meant. With abstract things (arguments, reputation), it is about the figurative meaning of destroying authority.
Der Techniker demontierte die Klimaanlage für die Wartung.
The technician dismantled the air-conditioning unit for maintenance.
In the figurative meaning, 'demontieren' (to demolish) is often used with abstract nouns, for example 'Argumente demontieren' (to demolish arguments), 'einen Mythos demontieren' (to demolish a myth), or 'einen Gegner demontieren' (to demolish an opponent).
Die Anwältin konnte die Argumente der Gegenseite leicht demontieren.
The lawyer was able to easily demolish the opposing side's arguments.
to expand / to remove
'ausbauen' and 'demontieren' can both mean that you detach something from a larger whole. 'ausbauen' is often used when a specific part is removed, for example from a device, car, or piece of furniture. 'demontieren' more often means taking something apart into several pieces or dismantling it systematically. The words can be confused because dismantling often also involves removing parts. The difference is: 'ausbauen' usually concerns a single part, while 'demontieren' means taking apart a whole thing or larger parts of it.
Zu Hause demontiert ihr das Regal, damit es besser ins Auto passt.
At home, you dismantle the shelf so that it fits better in the car.
Am Montag baut die Chefin die alte Festplatte aus dem Bürocomputer aus.
On Monday, the boss removes the old hard drive from the office computer.