work 1 of 2

verb

ˈwərk How to pronounce work (audio)
Definition of worknext
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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Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
as in to serve
to have a certain purpose the human kidneys work as a filtering system for the blood

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to drive
to set or keep in motion this pump is worked by hand

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in to operate
to control the mechanical operation of show me how to work the machine

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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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work

2 of 2

noun

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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in profession
the activity by which one regularly makes a living what line of work are you in?

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in factory
works plural a building or set of buildings for the manufacturing of goods a glass works where high quality glassware is made

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun work contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of work are drudgery, grind, labor, toil, and travail. While all these words mean "activity involving effort or exertion," work may imply activity of body, of mind, of a machine, or of a natural force.

too tired to do any work

In what contexts can drudgery take the place of work?

The meanings of drudgery and work largely overlap; however, drudgery suggests dull and irksome labor.

an editorial job with a good deal of drudgery

When might grind be a better fit than work?

The synonyms grind and work are sometimes interchangeable, but grind implies labor exhausting to mind or body.

the grind of the assembly line

When could labor be used to replace work?

The words labor and work are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, labor applies to physical or intellectual work involving great and often strenuous exertion.

farmers demanding fair compensation for their labor

When is toil a more appropriate choice than work?

The words toil and work can be used in similar contexts, but toil implies prolonged and fatiguing labor.

his lot would be years of back-breaking toil

When is it sensible to use travail instead of work?

Although the words travail and work have much in common, travail is bookish for labor involving pain or suffering.

years of travail were lost when the house burned

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 work
Verb
And if all that sounds like too much, BMW is working on a system that would monitor passengers’ health and pull over or call for help in the event of an emergency. —HubSpot, 12 June 2025 Though still in the early stages, researchers say this type of synthetic skin could one day help robots work more effectively in factories, dangerous environments, or even assist in disaster relief efforts. —Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 12 June 2025
Noun
There’s a deep yearning and caring at work here that is the film’s idiosyncratic strength, but also may be its weakness, plausibility-wise. —Lisa Kennedy, Variety, 13 June 2025 The Leo full moon on the 12th encourages you to step into the spotlight, especially in your work or daily routines. —Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for work
Recent Examples of Synonyms for work
  1. cause
  2. solve
  3. serve
  4. perform
  5. drive
  6. operate
  7. struggle
  8. use
Verb
  • The majority of these strikes happen during the summer, causing around 20 fatalities each year, according to the NWS.
    — STAR-TELEGRAM WEATHER BOT, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 June 2025
  • This has caused concern amongst producers, rightsholders and all and sundry.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 3 June 2025
Definition of cause
Verb
  • Most of our interviewees agreed that criminalization alone wouldn’t solve the opioid epidemic.
    — Katherine LeMasters, The Conversation, 13 June 2025
  • Even when crimes are reported, police often struggle to solve them.
    — Jillian E. Snider, Boston Herald, 13 June 2025
Definition of solve
Verb
  • The presiding officer of the Senate (currently J.D. Vance, since the Vice President serves as the presiding Officer of the Senate) can overrule the Parliamentarian, though this is extremely rare.
    — Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
  • The state’s current governor, Democrat Phil Murphy, can't run again after serving two terms.
    — Brittany Shepherd, ABC News, 10 June 2025
Definition of serve
Verb
  • Also in New York City, Uma Thurman brings her daughter Luna to the opening night of Eurydice, while Ciara performs at King's Cross in London.
    — Toria Sheffield, People.com, 3 June 2025
  • The rapper is a frequent visitor to Kansas City, having last performed at Azura Amphitheater for 2024’s Kelce Jam.
    — Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 3 June 2025
Definition of perform
Verb
  • Goldstein drove Boozer home with a sacrifice fly and Corral plated the go-ahead run with a single through the right side.
    — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 June 2025
  • Cultural messaging conditions women to play small We’re encouraged to be grateful, careful, and selfless; not bold, strategic, or profit driven.
    — Melissa Houston, Forbes.com, 7 June 2025
Definition of drive
Verb
  • Signet also operates Banter by Piercing Pagoda, Diamonds Direct, Blue Nile, JamesAllen.com, Rocksbox, Peoples Jewellers, H. Samuel and Ernest Jones.
    — David Moin, Footwear News, 3 June 2025
  • For years, sales teams have operated under intense pressure to hit growth targets.
    — Sean Brophy, Forbes.com, 3 June 2025
Definition of operate
Verb
  • Command and control continue to haunt Cleveland Guardians right-hander, Triston McKenzie. McKenzie, 27, struggled mightily in his brief appearances with the Guardians this season.
    — Bernie Pleskoff, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025
  • Both ended up struggling to hold their country together, let alone effect the changes that their activist supporters had hoped to see.
    — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 4 June 2025
Definition of struggle
Verb
  • On Wednesday, police in Seattle used pepper spray to clear out protesters, and officers in Denver used smoke and pepper balls to control a crowd.
    — Krysta Fauria, Chicago Tribune, 13 June 2025
  • Could breeze through the low-minors using just his fastball, but secondary stuff needs work to reach his potential, and focus on development of those pitches will likely slow down his development and lead to more mixed results in some outings.
    — Jon Vankin, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 June 2025
Definition of use

Phrases Containing work

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wore to a frazzle
work
workability
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Cite this Entry

“Work.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/work. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on work

Nglish: Translation of work for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about work

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