as in licked
to strike repeatedly
the mob boss's thugs really worked him over
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Recent Examples of worked over
Roxanne worked over Iyo’s left leg as Sky fought from underneath.
—
Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
The longtime consultant, business columnist, and news contributor has witnessed what has worked over the past four decades.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 23 Jan. 2026
Overtime rules in Michigan remain the same, requiring that employers pay nonexempt employees 1 ½ times their regular rate of pay for hours worked over 40 in a seven-day work week.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 16 Dec. 2025
Forest Hills has worked over the last few years to expand their internship and mentorship program, which is now called XCL.
—Grace Tucker, Cincinnati Enquirer, 15 Oct. 2025
Graves said the police department worked over the summer, reprogramming the light bars to show a steady blue light.
—Dominick Williams, Kansas City Star, 23 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
Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
The longtime consultant, business columnist, and news contributor has witnessed what has worked over the past four decades.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 23 Jan. 2026
Overtime rules in Michigan remain the same, requiring that employers pay nonexempt employees 1 ½ times their regular rate of pay for hours worked over 40 in a seven-day work week.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 16 Dec. 2025
Forest Hills has worked over the last few years to expand their internship and mentorship program, which is now called XCL.
—Grace Tucker, Cincinnati Enquirer, 15 Oct. 2025
Graves said the police department worked over the summer, reprogramming the light bars to show a steady blue light.
—Dominick Williams, Kansas City Star, 23 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for worked over
Verb
-
Just hours before Saturday morning’s Shabbat service, flames and smoke licked through the synagogue, destroying at least two Torahs and many prayer books.—
Bracey Harris,
NBC news,
14 Jan. 2026
-
When asked by director Marina Zenovich if there was a time when Chase walked away from his mother and stepfather and never saw them again, Chase pretended to swat a fly on his forehead, then licked his fingers as if eating the imaginary bug.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
2 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The Celtics pounded the paint with Neemias Queta and Luka Garza, a pair of bruising bigs who also can force the issue from 3-point range despite their lumbering dispositions.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Trump seems to have arrived, on his own, at the same understanding of geography and politics that was pounded into the heads of Soviet schoolchildren, including Putin and me.—
M. Gessen,
Mercury News,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But Johnson, who won a pair of Super Bowl championships with the Cowboys, lashed out at Spygate being the reason for Belichick not being selected.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
28 Jan. 2026
-
This is far from the first time the White House has lashed out at the cohosts of The View.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
In an unlit room, the children are whipped and verbally chastized.—
Blake Simons,
IndieWire,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Mountains of snow accumulated in drifts, whipped by winds of 50 mph or more.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Citing preliminary information, police said the driver turned north from Bovet Road onto South El Camino and hit the pedestrian in the north crosswalk of South El Camino Real at 17th Avenue.—
Jason Green,
Mercury News,
24 Jan. 2026
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The Torreys hit just one of eight shots in the quarter and committed five turnovers, most of them against Parker’s full-court press.—
Don Norcross,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Johnson’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday, nor did HUD officials.—
Lizzie Kane,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Aug. 2025
-
The two men then said Smollett paid them to stage the attack, and Smollett was charged with filing a false police report; the charges were later dropped after Smollett paid a fine and did community service.—
Rick Porter,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
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But two plays later, Drake Maye was lunging forward on a run and had the ball punched out.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
18 Jan. 2026
-
Packer defensive lineman Willie Davis somehow punched out the ball.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The styling team has knocked it out of the park yet again.—
Hannah Abraham,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
In September 2014, TMZ published a grainy elevator security video that showed Ray Rice, the star running back for the Baltimore Ravens, punching his girlfriend in the face so hard that she was knocked unconscious.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Worked over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worked%20over. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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