workhorse
noun
work·horse
ˈwərk-ˌhȯrs 
1
: a horse used chiefly for labor as distinguished from driving, riding, or racing
2
a(1)
: a person who performs most of the work of a group task
(2)
: a hardworking person
b
: something that is markedly useful, durable, or dependable
c
Examples of workhorse in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Spacex | Via Reuters SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket is grounded, pending an incident investigation, after an inflight failure — a rare misfire for the company’s workhorse vehicle.
—
Michael Sheetz, CNBC, 12 July 2024
Don’t expect hotel-level luxury or frills, but this set is a workhorse that will hold up after many washes.
—Kristi Kellogg, Architectural Digest, 9 July 2024
The workhorse rocket is manufactured by United Launch Alliance, a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin.
—Laurence Darmiento, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2024
Some of our favorite hiking boots and trail running shoes are on sale right now, including Sneaker Award–winners like Keen’s Targhee III, a true workhorse, and Altra’s Lone Peak 7, which experts love for its spacious toe box and grippy outsole.
—Sara Coughlin, SELF, 28 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for workhorse 
Michael Sheetz, CNBC, 12 July 2024
Don’t expect hotel-level luxury or frills, but this set is a workhorse that will hold up after many washes.
—Kristi Kellogg, Architectural Digest, 9 July 2024
The workhorse rocket is manufactured by United Launch Alliance, a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin.
—Laurence Darmiento, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2024
Some of our favorite hiking boots and trail running shoes are on sale right now, including Sneaker Award–winners like Keen’s Targhee III, a true workhorse, and Altra’s Lone Peak 7, which experts love for its spacious toe box and grippy outsole.
—Sara Coughlin, SELF, 28 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for workhorse
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'workhorse.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near workhorse
Cite this Entry
“Workhorse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/workhorse. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
workhorse
noun
work·horse
ˈwərk-ˌhȯ(ə)rs
1
: a horse used for hard work (as on a farm)
2
a
: a person who does most of the work of a group task
b
: something that is useful, durable, or dependable
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