woodwork

noun

wood·​work ˈwu̇d-ˌwərk 

1

: work made of wood

especially : interior fittings (such as moldings or stairways) of wood

2

: a place or state of concealment, seclusion, or anonymity

witnesses came out of the woodwork when a reward was offered

Examples of woodwork in a Sentence

We painted the walls white and the woodwork red.

The kick hit the woodwork.

Recent Examples on the Web

But far worse was what the scandal brought out in us As the two participants frantically turned away, wisely declining to be seen or heard from again, a legion of stand-ins came out of the woodwork to take their place. —Davia Temin, Forbes.com, 6 Aug. 2025

Don’t be surprised if others start to come out of the woodwork to collaborate or confess their desires towards you. —Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Aug. 2025

After news of the breakup occurred, some of Kenny’s alleged exes came out of the woodwork to talk about their romantic experiences with him. —Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 29 July 2025

When Pusey died, her obituary ran in The New York Times, bringing more leads out of the woodwork. —Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 27 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1609, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing woodwork

• come/crawl out of the woodwork
• fade into the woodwork
• into the woodwork

Rhymes for woodwork

• artwork
• beadwork
• berserk
• breastwork
• brickwork
• brushwork
• casework
• classwork
• clockwork
• coursework
• ductwork
• earthwork

Kids Definition

woodwork

noun

wood·​work -ˌwərk 

: work made of wood

especially : interior fittings (as window frames or stairways) of wood