work 1 of 2

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2
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as in to serve
to have a certain purpose the human kidneys work as a filtering system for the blood

Synonyms & Similar Words

4
as in to perform
to produce a desired effect this headache remedy takes half an hour to work

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

5
6
as in to operate
to control the mechanical operation of show me how to work the machine

Synonyms & Similar Words

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8

work

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noun

1
as in composition
a literary, musical, or artistic production unfortunately, many of her works are now out of print

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in factory
works plural a building or set of buildings for the manufacturing of goods a glass works where high quality glassware is made

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun work contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of work are drudgery, grind, labor, toil, and travail. While all these words mean "activity involving effort or exertion," work may imply activity of body, of mind, of a machine, or of a natural force.

too tired to do any work

In what contexts can drudgery take the place of work?

The meanings of drudgery and work largely overlap; however, drudgery suggests dull and irksome labor.

an editorial job with a good deal of drudgery

When might grind be a better fit than work?

The synonyms grind and work are sometimes interchangeable, but grind implies labor exhausting to mind or body.

the grind of the assembly line

When could labor be used to replace work?

The words labor and work are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, labor applies to physical or intellectual work involving great and often strenuous exertion.

farmers demanding fair compensation for their labor

When is toil a more appropriate choice than work?

The words toil and work can be used in similar contexts, but toil implies prolonged and fatiguing labor.

his lot would be years of back-breaking toil

When is it sensible to use travail instead of work?

Although the words travail and work have much in common, travail is bookish for labor involving pain or suffering.

years of travail were lost when the house burned

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of work
Verb
Additionally, more than 600,000 federal workers have been furloughed, and upward of 700,000 have kept working without pay. Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 9 Nov. 2025 Broder worked for me the same way a zookeeper works for the monkeys. Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 9 Nov. 2025
Noun
Your work focuses on the Asia-Pacific region, is that right? Billboard Japan, Billboard, 10 Nov. 2025 The Hollywood Reporter attended the Los Angeles event at the Greek Theatre where, during one portion of the show, guests were weeping in their seats during some of the transformative crowd work moments. Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 10 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for work
Recent Examples of Synonyms for work
Verb
  • China’s apparent surge in missile production comes as the US expends sophisticated defense systems in Ukraine and Israel, causing some ammunition shortages and sparking debate in Washington about how and where to deploy its high-end weapons.
    Tamara Qiblawi, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
  • These storms can cause intermittent satellite navigation issues and high-frequency radio disruptions, as well as voltage corrections in power systems, particularly at high latitudes.
    Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • For example, in ecological matters, the only way to solve the problem is to continue advancing technologically.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Nov. 2025
  • But the show’s primary perspective also seems to be that Kingstown’s problems are so impossible to solve that only someone like Mike — with no official affiliation — can mitigate against the worst possible outcome.
    Noel Murray, Vulture, 9 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Felicia Pride serves as showrunner, writer, and executive producer, with the legendary Debbie Allen, who directed 83 episodes of the original series, returning to executive produce and direct three episodes, including the premiere.
    Okla Jones, Essence, 11 Nov. 2025
  • Prabowo was also a military commander during Suharto’s reign and served in controversial campaigns in West Papua and East Timor, casting doubts over his own human rights record.
    Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Hours after Dundee’s Professor Iris Grunwald performed the world’s first remote thrombectomy on a human cadaver, another milestone followed.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 11 Nov. 2025
  • Game and network services have performed well in recent quarters thanks to a shift to digital game purchases and the PlayStation Plus subscription service.
    Dylan Butts, CNBC, 11 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • The offer is available for dine-in and drive-thru only and is not valid through the McDonald’s app.
    Cheryl V. Jackson, Louisville Courier Journal, 11 Nov. 2025
  • Timber, litter and understory vegetation are the main fuels driving the wildfire.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 11 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Wirtz would be the most likely candidate to partner Szoboszlai in the No 10 positions, with Ekitike or Gakpo operating from the left.
    Andy Jones, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
  • But their fragile coexistence collapsed once the Red Command, blocked from Bolivia, turned to Peru and built a cocaine trade that operates almost entirely within Brazil.
    Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 9 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • And problems continue despite the flight cancellations designed to relieve stress on controllers struggling to deal with the shutdown.
    Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2025
  • Entry-level workers experiment freely and the C-suite sees strategic value, yet middle managers often struggle to bridge the gap.
    Feon Ang, Fortune, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Guests can order the complimentary coffee in-bakery, through the mobile app, or online using code FREECOFFEE.
    Cheryl V. Jackson, Louisville Courier Journal, 11 Nov. 2025
  • Israel currently allows the death penalty only in exceptional cases, including for crimes such as treason and war crimes committed under the Nazi regime, but it has not been used for decades.
    Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2025

Cite this Entry

“Work.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/work. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.

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