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.

Synonyms of work over

• lick
• hide
• pound
• lash
• do
• hit
• punch out
• beat
• whip
• attack
• knock
• assault
• pelt
• batter
• slap
• punch
• thump
• bat
• beat up on

Examples of work over in a Sentence

the mob boss's thugs really worked him over

Recent Examples on the Web

The Work Isn’t Finished, a tribute by her longtime friend the filmmaker Jem Cohen, who photographed her and her work over several decades. —Nicole Rudick, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026

For one attorney’s work over a 24-hour stretch, a law firm billed the city of Chicago for 69 hours. —Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026

Olathe is requesting a handful of projects to be included in a Johnson County program that provides funding assistance for road work over the next five years. —Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 15 Apr. 2026

The Inland Empire traded its agricultural economy for logistics work over the past two decades. —Rey Covarrubias Jr, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1832, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for work over

• carryover
• changeover
• crossover
• cutover
• flashover
• hangover
• holdover
• layover
• leftover
• makeover
• moreover
• passover