working over

verb

present participle of work over
as in licking
to strike repeatedly the mob boss's thugs really worked him over

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 working over Rybakina’s serve and forehand can take any match out of her opponent’s hands, especially on grass, but the latter shot has misfired of late, and McNally’s changes in rhythm will give the 27-year-old a serious working over. — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 1 July 2026 There should be no pain or skin reddening during a proper session, and therapists avoid working over active swelling, infection or skin that’s undergone cancer treatment. — Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 30 June 2026 However, Clayton-Thomas continued working over the decades, both solo and as a member of later incarnations of the band. — Jem Aswad, Variety, 25 June 2026 So college-bound or not, most teens would be better off working over the summer, gaining experience, skills, and perspective to see the big city beyond Santa Rosa. — Ryan Craig, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026 Angie Moore, a bartender at The Do Drop Inn, a bar on Main Street, was working over the weekend and watched groups of kids running past the business several times, saw youths jumping on top of a car and spotted some who made it to the rooftop of a downtown building. — Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 10 June 2026 On Wednesday, the judge said that Sidhu had been given speeding penalties before the crash and had been working over 26 hours, with 16 of them being behind the wheel, per CBC. — Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 15 May 2026 Using clean hands and working over a colander, wring out the extra water and tear the soaked bread into pieces. — Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Oct. 2025 John Cooper described how much Redford enjoyed working over ideas with young filmmakers at the Sundance Institute each summer. — Scott Simon, NPR, 20 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for working over
  1. licking
  2. pounding
  3. hiding
  4. lashing
  5. punching out
  6. whipping
  7. doing
  8. beating
Verb
  • That’s not exactly chump change, considering Atlanta was still licking its wounds after the Great Depression.
    — Serena Turner, Vanity Fair, 3 Nov. 2026
  • After contracting the plague, he was banished to a cave, where a dog brought him bread and healed his wounds by licking them.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of licking
Verb
  • At the bottom of the slope, dozens of protective barriers have been installed as a buffer from waves pounding the shoreline.
    — Michele Gile, CBS News, 7 Nov. 2026
  • When defenses do catch up, McQuillan — like her teammates — have the green light to keep pounding away.
    — Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of pounding
Verb
  • Rice takes curious young readers on a tour of the natural world that’s hiding in plain sight, focusing on the ways that plants and animals communicate and connect.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Nov. 2026
  • February 19 – March 20 An annoying little problem could be hiding a surprisingly easy fix.
    — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of hiding
Verb
  • Most of the students were accused of minor offenses, like making threats, using cannabis vapes or lashing out at classmates or teachers, the analysis found.
    — Kristian Hernández, San Antonio Express-News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • More students ages 10 to 13 are ending up in the justice system after vaping, making threats and lashing out at school.
    — Rosie Cima, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of lashing
Verb
  • Falcons gain possession with fumble recovery Maason Smith continued a solid game by punching out the football from the grasp of 49ers running back Kaelon Black, a fumble recovered by Gervon Dexter Sr.
    — AJC.com, AJC.com, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Rays starter Drew Rasmussen kept that lead strong through five innings, punching out seven.
    — Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of punching out
Verb
  • In September 2022, Brandon Sanchez, a member of the show cast, documented a riding lesson in an email to management and HR, describing Garcia berating riders and whipping a Friesian horse for an extended period.
    — Alessandra Schade, Vanity Fair, 28 Oct. 2026
  • By far, the easiest way to decongest my pores is whipping out one of the Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads and giving my T-zone a very proper run-through.
    — Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of whipping
Verb
  • If the idea of doing surgery on a raw turkey gives you a stress rash, ask your butcher to do it—even at the supermarket.
    — Andy Baraghani, Bon Appetit Magazine, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Even while every utopia contains the seeds of its opposite, so too does any dystopia provide, even briefly or contingently, intimations of a different way of doing things.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of doing
Verb
  • At least Florida can point to Ole Miss and Texas, but the Gamecocks jumped into the top 25 after beating a very mediocre Oklahoma team.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2026
  • The Falcons advanced to the second round last year after beating Berlin the first round.
    — Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of beating

Browse Nearby Words

working out
working over
workings
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Cite this Entry

“Working over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/working%20over. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

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