work overtime

idiom

: to spend time working at one's job in addition to one's normal working hours
often used figuratively
Her imagination was working overtime.
He's been working overtime around the house to please his wife.

Examples of work overtime in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Replace Filters Regularly A clogged air filter forces systems to work overtime. Dianne Plummer, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025 Washington is now San Francisco East — resembling a place where a lot of good football players have had to work overtime for their next big contract, including Nick Bosa and old friend Trent Williams. David Aldridge, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025 Instead, buy a reliable, lightweight button-down shirt that’ll work overtime in your carry-on for many seasons to come—like this oversized option that’s on sale for $23 and is carried up to a size 5XL. Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 26 Aug. 2025 Joslin, who is 35 and had been going to the park for more than a decade prior to working there, has written Yosemite climbing guidebooks and volunteered to work overtime to help issue hiking permits and manage traffic in the park. Jo Yurcaba, NBC news, 18 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for work overtime

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Cite this Entry

“Work overtime.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/work%20overtime. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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