Someone claims to know something.

Socrates questions the person.

Through questioning Socrates gets the person to make claims.

Socrates himself avoids making claims, but simply focuses claims the other person makes.

Socrates uses logic to deduce other claims from these, but still only proceeds if and when the other person accepts these further claims.

Socrates shows that these claims are self-contradictory.

Socrates concludes that the person does not know (and is not wise).