Definition of worknext
1
2
3
as in to serve
to have a certain purpose the human kidneys work as a filtering system for the blood

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

5
6
as in to operate
to control the mechanical operation of show me how to work the machine

Synonyms & Similar Words

7
8

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

2
3
4
5
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
Roach works inside the pocket with an excellent chin and counters accurately. Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026 Avila worked a scoreless sixth, retiring Casey Schmitt, Rafael Devers and Willy Adames. Kansas City Star, 22 July 2026
Noun
Focus on the Family spent $370,000 in Africa between 2019 and 2023, according to the Institute for Journalism and Social Change, which says that probably does not fully capture the scope of the group’s influence or work. Monika Pronczuk, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026 Whatever makes the sequence, and the movie as a whole, work so well is truly invisible, the result of an 83-year-old director’s confidence after 50 years of making movies. Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 20 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for work
Recent Examples of Synonyms for work
Verb
  • The Gion Matsuri originated in the late 9th century as a ritual to appease spirits believed to cause epidemics and to pray for protection from disease.
    ABC News, ABC News, 19 July 2026
  • The diseases that cause dementia can impair brain circuits involved in impulse control and threat perception, raising the risk of aggressive behavior.
    Jordan Rau, NPR, 19 July 2026
Verb
  • Privacy concerns The EU’s new mandate also highlights critical questions over privacy in the AI era — and the challenges tech companies and regulators face in solving them.
    Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 19 July 2026
  • Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni, a former right back who played alongside Messi in the 2006 World Cup, solved that problem by moving Messi to right wing, tweaking formations and pulling from a bench superior to England’s.
    Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 July 2026
Verb
  • He was named co-anchor last year, serving alongside Savannah Guthrie.
    Tom Winter, NBC news, 17 July 2026
  • The last group is led by board president Heather Fargo, who served as mayor of Sacramento from 2000-2008.
    Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 17 July 2026
Verb
  • But for many Georgians who volunteered, worked, performed or attended the Games, the memories that have endured are far more personal.
    Andrea Clement, AJC.com, 17 July 2026
  • One of Ramboll’s innovations is to address reactive power, a component of electricity that does not perform useful work but is essential in maintaining electrical and magnetic fields and controlling voltage levels.
    Drew Robb, IEEE Spectrum, 16 July 2026
Verb
  • To prevent speculation that drives up land price without actual construction, the zoning benefits would be granted only on submission of building-permit applications.
    Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 22 July 2026
  • Real estate has always been driven by connections between buyers and sellers.
    Heartland MLS®, Kansas City Star, 22 July 2026
Verb
  • The aircraft is operated by the private charter division of Qatar Airways, a World Cup sponsor.
    ABC News, ABC News, 19 July 2026
  • The Caspian Pipeline Consortium, which operates the hub off Russia’s Black Sea coast, said two tankers had been hit and that oil loading has been stopped.
    Daria Tarasova-Markina, CNN Money, 19 July 2026
Verb
  • In the galley, Joy struggles to accommodate two sheets of Suzanne’s preferences and one sheet of Sugar Baby’s.
    Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 21 July 2026
  • Day to day, as the city grows, there’s also the question of traffic, which snarls the city as public transit initiatives have repeatedly struggled.
    Jacqui Palumbo, CNN Money, 21 July 2026
Verb
  • Concerned that the programs’ growing sophistication could induce emotional dependency and addiction, China last week banned minors from using AI companions and imposed additional requirements on platforms to prevent misuse.
    Stephanie Yang, CNN Money, 23 July 2026
  • The man originally did not take responsibility, but the Sheriff’s Office later identified his vehicle using Flock camera footage and video from a homeowner’s private camera.
    Rachel Roberts, Idaho Statesman, 23 July 2026

Cite this Entry

“Work.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/work. Accessed 24 Jul. 2026.

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