works 1 of 2

present tense third-person singular of work
1
2
3
as in serves
to have a certain purpose the human kidneys work as a filtering system for the blood

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

7
8

works

2 of 2

noun

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

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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 works
Verb
Darwent works with three other teachers. George Caulkin, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025 That introduced me to works like Hiroshima, Mon Amour, The Battle of Algiers, and Claude Lanzmann’s Shoah, which really show how cinema can radically change how an entire nation sees itself. Zac Ntim, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2025 Earlier this year, Unilever’s incoming CEO announced that the company would spend 50 percent of its media budget with creators, while multiplying the number of creators that the company works with by 20. Taylor Lorenz, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2025 That was the coolest part for me was seeing somebody who works so hard and overcome so many battles and so much adversity to get to that moment. Patrick Snell, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2025 Both works addressed precarious conditions and, in the case of The Silver Lake, the hope of saving the future. JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2025 But everybody works well together. Brian Truitt, USA Today, 16 Oct. 2025 The actress, who works with stylist Mike Adler for her red carpet looks, opted for a vibrant and glitzy gown from fashion designer Zeynep Kartal. Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2025 This works because each tower captures sunlight at different times of the day. Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2025
Noun
Some teams — Stoke in the late 2000s and early 2010s, Brentford now — might find that fixating on long throw-ins works. Oliver Kay, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025 Nwodim's act will come as part of Lincoln Center Theater's The Comedy Series, which will also feature works from Jerrod Carmichael, Vir Das, and Sam Jay throughout the remainder of 2025. Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Oct. 2025 Today these works are well defined by Mondrian’s legacy, with his rigid paintings of black-and-white grids, sprinkled with rectangular forms in red, yellow, and blue. JSTOR Daily, 15 Oct. 2025 Today, the late designer likely would be surprised to learn that one of his most enduring works has experienced a cool-factor renaissance. Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 15 Oct. 2025 There’s little recourse for creators, most of whom don’t actually own the intellectual property in their underlying works since they’re mostly commissioned on a work made for hire basis. Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2025 Some of Wittenberg’s works are exuberant, others somber or wistful. Grace Edquist, Vogue, 15 Oct. 2025 Their perspective seems to point to the fact that more practical, hard skills—such as how credit scores work, or how to pay off credit card debt—are valued over the soft skills that great works of literature might impress on young minds. Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 14 Oct. 2025 Contemporary critics placed him in the same — if not higher — calibre as European modern masters, while famed British sculptor Henry Moore saw Enwonwu as a protégé and even bought one of his early works, said Ogbechie. Suyin Haynes, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for works
Verb
  • The build-up of bacteria causes fermentation and an increase in internal gas pressure, forcing sap to ooze from wounds or cracks in the bark.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2025
  • Attracted by our body heat, carbon dioxide and even certain scents, mosquitoes bite by injecting saliva, which causes the infamous red bump and relentless itch.
    Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 15 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Tune in for short episodes every Wednesday and Saturday as Grumpy answers reader questions, solves seasonal conundrums, and provides need-to-know advice for gardeners with his very Grumpy sense of humor.
    Steve Bender, Southern Living, 15 Oct. 2025
  • New metal alloy solves previous issues Metallic high-heat-resistant materials are essential for aircraft engines, gas turbines, and X-ray units.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Billboard’s Friday Music Guide serves as a handy guide to this Friday’s most essential releases — the key music that everyone will be talking about today, and that will be dominating playlists this weekend and beyond.
    Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 17 Oct. 2025
  • The ballad reflects on a chance meeting with an ex after a breakup and serves as a rare apology from the singer, expressing regret for a relationship that ended too soon.
    Bryan West, Nashville Tennessean, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Today, Hamas operates without a coherent leadership, a reality its remaining figures seem unwilling to confront.
    Mohammed R. Mhawish, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Airports pick a side TSA owns and operates some of the video monitors at airports which have been added to try to expedite the screening process by displaying reminders and sometimes include DHS messages.
    Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • As the storm moves away, this likelihood decreases.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 14 Oct. 2025
  • This design is lighter than traditional night vision systems and places the weight in a way that moves with the soldier.
    Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Reports of early concepts include a screenless, wearable device that uses voice input and subtle haptics, envisioned more as an ambient companion than a traditional gadget.
    MacKenzie Sigalos, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2025
  • Among the allegations, the USTR determined that China uses state subsidies to lessen competition and create dependencies on the country for non-market entrants.
    Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 14 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Tagovailoa struggles with accuracy For the Dolphins, Tagovailoa struggled in this game.
    Daniel Popper, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
  • The pieces are set to perfectly align in London against a Jets defense that blitzes all the time but struggles to properly pressure.
    Joe Nguyen, Denver Post, 12 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Malware often exploits vulnerabilities in outdated systems, so regularly updating your operating system, antivirus and productivity tools adds another layer of protection against future attacks.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2025
  • This kind of fraud, resembling that experienced by Anthony, exploits a person’s emotions, inciting fear and anxiety, by impersonating a grandchild or other family member in distress.
    Madhusree Mukerjee, Scientific American, 8 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Works.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/works. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.

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