work 1 of 2

verb

ˈwərk How to pronounce work (audio)
Definition of worknext
1
as in to cause
to be the cause of (a situation, action, or state of mind) this new drug can really work wonders

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to solve
to find an answer for through reasoning finally figured out how to work the math problem

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3
as in to serve
to have a certain purpose the human kidneys work as a filtering system for the blood

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4
as in to perform
to produce a desired effect this headache remedy takes half an hour to work

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to drive
to set or keep in motion this pump is worked by hand

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in to operate
to control the mechanical operation of show me how to work the machine

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7
as in to struggle
to devote serious and sustained effort the organization has worked for years to raise people's awareness of human rights issues

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in to use
to take unfair advantage of a young boy who worked his aunt for all she was worth in toys and candy when she visited once a year

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work

2 of 2

noun

1
as in composition
a literary, musical, or artistic production unfortunately, many of her works are now out of print

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2
as in production
something produced by physical or intellectual effort the new Web application is the work of a pair of young but highly gifted programmers

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3
as in job
the action for which a person or thing is specially fitted or used or for which a thing exists the work of a movie director is to tell a story through a series of striking images

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4
as in effort
the active use of energy in producing a result put a lot of work into the project

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in profession
the activity by which one regularly makes a living what line of work are you in?

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in factory
works plural a building or set of buildings for the manufacturing of goods a glass works where high quality glassware is made

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun work contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of work are drudgery, grind, labor, toil, and travail. While all these words mean "activity involving effort or exertion," work may imply activity of body, of mind, of a machine, or of a natural force.

too tired to do any work

In what contexts can drudgery take the place of work?

The meanings of drudgery and work largely overlap; however, drudgery suggests dull and irksome labor.

an editorial job with a good deal of drudgery

When might grind be a better fit than work?

The synonyms grind and work are sometimes interchangeable, but grind implies labor exhausting to mind or body.

the grind of the assembly line

When could labor be used to replace work?

The words labor and work are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, labor applies to physical or intellectual work involving great and often strenuous exertion.

farmers demanding fair compensation for their labor

When is toil a more appropriate choice than work?

The words toil and work can be used in similar contexts, but toil implies prolonged and fatiguing labor.

his lot would be years of back-breaking toil

When is it sensible to use travail instead of work?

Although the words travail and work have much in common, travail is bookish for labor involving pain or suffering.

years of travail were lost when the house burned

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of work
Verb
Airlines have been working with passengers to reschedule or refund tickets, but questions are starting to emerge about whether Newark will be able to handle the high volume of flights this summer. —Alecia Reid, CBS News, 4 May 2025 The placement, it was explained, is deliberate, and establishes the late Vogue editor, who also worked alongside Diana Vreeland at the Costume Institute, as an ancestor figure. —Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 4 May 2025
Noun
Follow Santillana for the latest in the world of work. —Maria Gracia Santillana Linares, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025 In addition to his work for Scientific American, Billings's writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Boston Globe, Wired, New Scientist, Popular Science, and many other publications. —Leonard David, Scientific American, 8 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for work
Recent Examples of Synonyms for work
  1. cause
  2. solve
  3. serve
  4. perform
  5. drive
  6. operate
  7. struggle
  8. use
Verb
  • As for tornado fatalities, this year, many of the twisters that caused deaths occurred in Missouri, Tennessee, and Mississippi, the Storm Prediction Center said.
    — Doyle Rice, USA Today, 11 May 2025
  • The breakdown was caused by failures in the copper wiring that transmits information from Long Island to Philadelphia, a source told CNN.
    — Pete Muntean, CNN Money, 10 May 2025
Definition of cause
Verb
  • Following the murder of her best friend, she’s forced to outrun the mob in her 1969 Plymouth Barracuda, traversing the byways of America while solving murders along the way.
    — Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2025
  • Some companies may pivot to domestic manufacturing, but this transition takes time and may not solve the issue.
    — Rytis Lauris, Forbes.com, 8 May 2025
Definition of solve
Verb
  • Haslem, who joins Prime Video from ESPN, will serve as a studio analyst alongside Griffin, Nowitzki, and Rooks for the streaming network’s pre-game, halftime, and post-game NBA coverage.
    — Denise Petski, Deadline, 5 May 2025
  • There is also a good smattering of creations from Louis Vuitton, which is the show’s lead sponsor and where Virgil Abloh served as creative director of men’s collections and was succeeded by Pharrell Williams.
    — Rosemary Feitelberg, Footwear News, 5 May 2025
Definition of serve
Verb
  • The group is getting ready to perform Broadway show tunes on May 31 at the Library’s Community Room.
    — Ramona Sentinel, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 May 2025
  • Ancelotti is the epitome of a man-manager, able to empower his players to perform to their best of their ability without requiring too much tactical instruction.
    — Mark Carey, New York Times, 10 May 2025
Definition of perform
Verb
  • The video showed several vehicles that drove around the minivan in the lanes on either side.
    — Latoya Gayle, People.com, 2 May 2025
  • This multiyear partnership provides the time and platform to drive meaningful impact redefining the role of skin care in performance, recovery and well-being.
    — Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 2 May 2025
Definition of drive
Verb
  • Airspace control was transferred to the Philadelphia Terminal Radar Control Facility (TRACON) last July and, since the move, the radars have been operated with what one source called a remote extension cord-like line.
    — Pete Muntean, CNN Money, 10 May 2025
  • The warehouse and distribution center will operate alongside the LEGO factory being built in Virginia, which is set to open in 2027.
    — Asher Notheis, The Washington Examiner, 10 May 2025
Definition of operate
Verb
  • Too often over the last few years, the Red Sox have struggled to dispatch bad teams.
    — Gabrielle Starr, Hartford Courant, 11 May 2025
  • Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki has struggled with his command in his stateside debut.
    — Peter Chawaga, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 May 2025
Definition of struggle
Verb
  • The company uses green chemicals and operates at room temperature to reduce energy consumption and the need to pre-wash materials.
    — Jennifer Bringle, Sourcing Journal, 5 May 2025
  • While rain ponchos stayed tucked away, the real stars of the show were hand fans — used more as percussion instruments than for cooling off.
    — Billboard Brasil, Billboard, 5 May 2025
Definition of use

Phrases Containing work

Browse Nearby Words

wore to a frazzle
work
workability
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Cite this Entry

“Work.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/work. Accessed 15 May. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on work

Nglish: Translation of work for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about work

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