Synonyms of work
1
as in to cause
to be the cause of (a situation, action, or state of mind)
this new drug can really work wonders
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2
as in to solve
to find an answer for through reasoning
finally figured out how to work the math problem
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3
4
5
as in to drive
to set or keep in motion
this pump is worked by hand
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6
7
as in to struggle
to devote serious and sustained effort
the organization has worked for years to raise people's awareness of human rights issues
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8
as in to use
to take unfair advantage of
a young boy who worked his aunt for all she was worth in toys and candy when she visited once a year
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1
as in composition
a literary, musical, or artistic production
unfortunately, many of her works are now out of print
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2
as in production
something produced by physical or intellectual effort
the new Web application is the work of a pair of young but highly gifted programmers
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3
as in job
the action for which a person or thing is specially fitted or used or for which a thing exists
the work of a movie director is to tell a story through a series of striking images
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4
as in effort
the active use of energy in producing a result
put a lot of work into the project
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5
as in profession
the activity by which one regularly makes a living
what line of work are you in?
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of work
Nick Baumgardner, New York Times, 30 July 2025
Check out any over-50 star still working — nearly all have full, Samson-like manes to match their career stamina.
—Elycia Rubin, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2025
Evan Moore
july 31, Charlotte Observer, 31 July 2025
Thankfully, for me, the years of hard work all paid off.
—Salman Chowdhury, CNBC, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for work
Verb
Ward has to play faster in the pocket and continue to work on ball placement.
—Nick Baumgardner, New York Times, 30 July 2025
Check out any over-50 star still working — nearly all have full, Samson-like manes to match their career stamina.
—Elycia Rubin, HollywoodReporter, 30 July 2025
Noun
Though Millsap suddenly found herself out of work, there is little legal recourse for her or the rest of the employees at Okra.
—Evan Moore
july 31, Charlotte Observer, 31 July 2025
Thankfully, for me, the years of hard work all paid off.
—Salman Chowdhury, CNBC, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for work
Recent Examples of Synonyms for work
Verb
-
The Louisville Fire Department's budget allocation is causing disagreement between the firefighters union and city officials.—
Lillian Metzmeier,
The Courier-Journal,
22 July 2025
-
Particles from wildfire smoke can cause minor symptoms, such as mild eye or throat irritation, or more serious heart and lung issues in some cases, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.—
Maia Pandey,
jsonline.com,
22 July 2025
Verb
-
Homicide detectives race against the clock, knowing their best chance to solve a murder is within the first two days!—
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal,
Parents,
31 July 2025
-
StackOverflow plans to commit some of its resources both to expanding AI tool literacy and to fostering community discussions that help solve issues that are specific to workflows that involve those tools.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
31 July 2025
Verb
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That will serve him well in his new role since most tribal land in Wisconsin is forested or rural.—
Frank Vaisvilas,
jsonline.com,
30 July 2025
-
The Bastrop district serves 13,000 students in Bastrop, Cedar Creek, Red Rock, Rockne and Paige.—
Karoline Leonard,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
Verb
-
Cauley is on her own tour, performing four shows a week in different cities across the U.S., and will be headlining at Zanie's Comedy Club on July 31.—
Laura L. Davis,
The Tennessean,
22 July 2025
-
Then, Tems performed at the FIFA World Cup in a red and gold makeup look.—
Essence,
Essence,
21 July 2025
Verb
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That in turn drove low wages for workers, high staff turnover and limited capacity for children.—
Rachel Wegner,
The Tennessean,
26 July 2025
-
Top-of-funnel marketing drives awareness that manifests through other channels.—
Cody Greco,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
Verb
-
The number of robotaxis operating in China is unclear but may top Waymo.—
Richard Brack,
Austin American Statesman,
22 July 2025
-
At the Port of Detroit, U.S. Customs and Border Protection removed crew members from at least two cruise ships operating in the Great Lakes earlier this month, USA TODAY reports.—
Leah Olajide,
Freep.com,
22 July 2025
Verb
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But AmeriCorps officials have struggled in recent years to provide financial information to auditors and have acknowledged the need for reforms.—
Dan Horn,
The Enquirer,
23 July 2025
-
The party of the president usually struggles in a midterm election like next year's race to replace Peters.—
M.L. Elrick,
Freep.com,
23 July 2025
Verb
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Residents can also use AirNow, a part of the U.S. Air Quality Index, and check local conditions by searching their ZIP Code or city.—
Sarah Moore,
Freep.com,
31 July 2025
-
Blue Ghost Mission 2, scheduled for 2026, will also use Firefly’s Elytra Dark transfer vehicle and Blue Ghost lunar lander.—
Karoline Leonard,
Austin American Statesman,
31 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Work.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/work. Accessed 4 Aug. 2025.
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