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
  • Some of the flames come close to licking the glass, as the wildfire blows across the tracks.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 15 July 2026
  • Signs paws have already been burned include limping, refusing to walk, licking or chewing feet, darker or damaged pads and visible blisters or redness.
    — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 9 July 2026
Definition of licking
Verb
  • Saturday’s match was missing the loud Latin passion and party atmosphere that South American teams’ fans would have brought; the near-constant singing and chanting to a steady pounding drumbeat.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 12 July 2026
  • The drums began pounding; the rain started to beat down even harder.
    — Lale Arikoglu, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 July 2026
Definition of pounding
Verb
  • Juro is collecting worthy Jedi to help repopulate the Jedi Order, but evil Sith mercenaries are hiding within his candidates’ ranks.
    — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 13 July 2026
  • Most schemes involved hiding behind computer screens, renting nonexistent apartments or exploiting a grandparent’s love by asking for a grandchild’s fake bail.
    — Ari Maas, New York Daily News, 11 July 2026
Definition of hiding
Verb
  • Under pressure, Fiji conceded 12 penalties — nine by halftime — and a red card to scrumhalf Simione Kuruvoli for lashing out with his boot into the stomach of Ellis Genge.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 July 2026
  • In October 2020, Burnham happened to be holding a news conference on live TV, when an aide passed him a phone with news of another lockdown — and the mayor reacted angrily, lashing out at the central government.
    — Lauren Frayer, NPR, 9 July 2026
Definition of lashing
Verb
  • Danny Nelson starred again from the mound for Leominster in a 4-1 win over Shepherd Hill, allowing just three hits while punching out 10 in a complete game.
    — Kristina Banahan, Boston Herald, 20 May 2026
  • The third frame was his sharpest, with Snell pitching around a two-out error from Kim and punching out Jorge Mateo on a curveball to end his night.
    — Katie Woo, New York Times, 10 May 2026
Definition of punching out
Verb
  • Hanoi’s famous egg coffee—made by whipping egg yolks with sugar and condensed milk into a rich, velvety foam—was born during a time when fresh milk was scarce.
    — Susmita Baral, Travel + Leisure, 9 July 2026
  • Onstage, Shakira unleashed her inner rock star during the song, working the stage and the mic stand in a purple corset and matching fringe pants and whipping her lengthy curls like a weapon.
    — Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 7 July 2026
Definition of whipping
Verb
  • An easy way to keep your bones strong is doing weight-bearing exercises.
    — Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 16 July 2026
  • One household’s squeeze may look nothing like its neighbor’s, but trace each far enough back and the same few fractures are doing the work.
    — Phil Mattingly, CNN Money, 16 July 2026
Definition of doing
Verb
  • New York investment bank Goldman Sachs and commercial banking giant Bank of America also posted strong second quarter results, both beating Wall Street expectations.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 July 2026
  • The trailer then cuts to Branagh’s Nikolai rescuing his new American friend and beating up a group of men in a restaurant.
    — Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 14 July 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 18 Jul. 2026.

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