work over
verb
worked over; working over; works over
1
: to subject to thorough examination, study, or treatment
shelf stock worked over by shoppers
2
: to do over : rework
saved the play by working the first act over
3
: to beat up or manhandle with thoroughness
My boxing opponent worked me over in the ring.
Examples of work over in a Sentence
the mob boss's thugs really worked him over
Recent Examples on the Web
All three were created by the Equal Justice Initiative, a nonprofit legal organization founded in 1989 that has expanded into narrative and public-history work over the past decade and a half under the leadership of its founder and executive director, Bryan Stevenson.
—
Clint Smith, The Atlantic, 19 Jan. 2026
Nothing demonstrates this better than repeatedly coming back to an artist’s work over a period of years.
—Benjamin Lima
special Contributor, Dallas Morning News, 17 Jan. 2026
Despite attempts by several Iranian governments to ban and bowdlerize his work over the last century, the ghost of Hedayat has maintained its grip on Iranian literature.
—Amir Ahmadi Arian, The Dial, 15 Jan. 2026
In front of a crowd of close to 150 people, students and The Charlotte Observer staff photographers were honored for their work over the past year.
—Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez, Charlotte Observer, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for work over
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Clint Smith, The Atlantic, 19 Jan. 2026
Nothing demonstrates this better than repeatedly coming back to an artist’s work over a period of years.
—Benjamin Lima
special Contributor, Dallas Morning News, 17 Jan. 2026
Despite attempts by several Iranian governments to ban and bowdlerize his work over the last century, the ghost of Hedayat has maintained its grip on Iranian literature.
—Amir Ahmadi Arian, The Dial, 15 Jan. 2026
In front of a crowd of close to 150 people, students and The Charlotte Observer staff photographers were honored for their work over the past year.
—Melissa Melvin-Rodriguez, Charlotte Observer, 15 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for work over
Cite this Entry
“Work over.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/work%20over. Accessed 22 Jan. 2026.
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