hackwork
noun
hack·work
ˈhak-ˌwərk 
: literary, artistic, or professional work done on order usually according to formula and in conformity with commercial standards
Examples of hackwork in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
If this hysterical hackwork has any soul at all, Crowe just about saves it.
—
Guy Lodge, Variety, 7 Apr. 2023
The books sold well but were uneven in quality, tending at times toward hackwork.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2023
The race reckoning of 3KY’s unequal love story is nothing more than extravagant political hackwork.
—Armond White, National Review, 7 Sep. 2022
Lucien trades his desire to be a poet for print-media hackwork.
—Armond White, National Review, 10 June 2022
And so, at least for the moment, there has been some respite on the bestseller lists from the usual insider politics hackwork.
—Colin Dickey, The New Republic, 7 Aug. 2020
Alan Smithee credits look like hackwork in comparison.
—Graeme McMillan, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Aug. 2019
Its misfortunes are not difficult to explain: Unlike Life and Fate, Stalingrad was published in the Soviet Union under Stalin and gained a reputation as Stalinist hackwork.
—Sophie Pinkham, The New Republic, 27 Aug. 2019
His oeuvre is full of hackwork: The pulps commonly paid by the word and Howard was happy to deliver words in bulk, allowing quantity to overwhelm quality.
—John J. Miller, National Review, 11 July 2019
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Guy Lodge, Variety, 7 Apr. 2023
The books sold well but were uneven in quality, tending at times toward hackwork.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2023
The race reckoning of 3KY’s unequal love story is nothing more than extravagant political hackwork.
—Armond White, National Review, 7 Sep. 2022
Lucien trades his desire to be a poet for print-media hackwork.
—Armond White, National Review, 10 June 2022
And so, at least for the moment, there has been some respite on the bestseller lists from the usual insider politics hackwork.
—Colin Dickey, The New Republic, 7 Aug. 2020
Alan Smithee credits look like hackwork in comparison.
—Graeme McMillan, The Hollywood Reporter, 31 Aug. 2019
Its misfortunes are not difficult to explain: Unlike Life and Fate, Stalingrad was published in the Soviet Union under Stalin and gained a reputation as Stalinist hackwork.
—Sophie Pinkham, The New Republic, 27 Aug. 2019
His oeuvre is full of hackwork: The pulps commonly paid by the word and Howard was happy to deliver words in bulk, allowing quantity to overwhelm quality.
—John J. Miller, National Review, 11 July 2019
Cite this Entry
“Hackwork.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hackwork. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
hackwork
noun
hack·work
ˈhak-ˌwərk
: literary, artistic, or professional work done on order usually according to a set standard
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