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

• lick
• hide
• pound
• lash
• do
• hit
• punch out
• whip
• beat
• attack
• knock
• pelt
• assault
• 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

Flexibility Matters More Than Money Perhaps the most telling finding from BabyCenter's research is that nearly three in ten mothers (29%) would choose remote work over a $10,000 raise, and another 28% would opt for flexible hours over the same raise. —Jennifer Jay Palumbo, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025

Part of the joy of watching McElwee’s work over the years not only comes from watching his family grow up, but also seeing how his creative perspective changes in response to his concerns as a late-in-life husband and father. —Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 3 Sep. 2025

Bradley worked over a pair of walks in the first inning, getting out unscathed. —Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 31 Aug. 2025

White worked over the paragraph a third time, and telegraphed it to the magazine. —Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2025

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