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

From the front porch, glass doors lead into a cozy reception area decked out with checkerboard-tile floors, warm tobacco-brown woodwork, and midcentury seating in shades of olive and blue. — Adam Erace, Travel + Leisure, 30 July 2026

Wherever Flock controversies bubble to the surface, police come out of the woodwork as the company’s most ardent defenders. — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 30 July 2026

But every once in a while, one dish emerges from the woodwork and pops up here, there, everywhere. — Nina Moskowitz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 July 2026

Kylian Mbappe had a France goal disallowed for offside and hit the post, Michael Olise struck the woodwork with a bicycle kick and Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola both missed presentable chances. — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 7 July 2026

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