work over

verb

worked over; working over; works over

transitive verb

1
: to subject to thorough examination, study, or treatment
shelf stock worked over by shoppers
2
: to do over : rework
saved the play by working the first act over
3
: to beat up or manhandle with thoroughness
My boxing opponent worked me over in the ring.

Examples of work over in a Sentence

the mob boss's thugs really worked him over
Recent Examples on the Web In a virtual interview from his new workshop in Florence where he was surrounded by his work over the past two-plus decades, Reid said that as much as his business has evolved, there have also been some constants. Jean E. Palmieri, WWD, 11 Oct. 2024 Miranda works closely with her local Boys and Girls Club and works over the summer as a tutor for the Indy Summer Learning Labs, but goes the extra mile for her students by helping them with things like filling out college applications and even throwing graduation parties. Caroline Beck, The Indianapolis Star, 27 Sep. 2024 Patton will play Lou Smith, a legend among law enforcement, who has worked over 150 homicide cases in Boulder Springs. Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2024 Her career took off from there, and she's steadily worked over the past three-and-a-half decades in hits like Boogie Nights and The Hangover. Gillian Telling, People.com, 10 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for work over 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'work over.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1832, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of work over was in 1832

Dictionary Entries Near work over

Cite this Entry

“Work over.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/work%20over. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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