work over

verb

worked over; working over; works over

transitive verb

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.

Synonyms

• bash
• baste
• bat
• batter
• beat
• belabor
• belt
• birch
• bludgeon
• buffet
• bung up
• club
• curry
• do
• drub
• fib [British]
• flog
• hammer
• hide
• lace
• lambaste
• lambast
• lash
• lather
• lick
• maul
• mess (up)
• paddle
• pelt
• pommel
• pound
• pummel
• punch out
• rough (up)
• slate
• slog
• switch
• tan
• thrash
• thresh
• thump
• tromp
• wallop
• whale
• whip
• whop
• whap
• whup

Examples of work over in a Sentence

the mob boss's thugs really worked him over

Recent Examples on the Web

Yet the 49ers have worked over Seattle both with and without McCaffrey. —Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 15 Nov. 2024

The documentary alleged that workers were working over the maximum 60 hours weekly, and were forced to take a three-hour bus commute to the desert site and back on top of their shift, leaving them with around four hours to sleep. —Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024

California Governor Gavin Newsom, for example, has worked over several years to ban practice in the state. —Dipka Bhambhani, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024

Her team will work over the weekend processing the voter registration forms and conducting training for 400 poll workers. —Sarah D. Wire, USA TODAY, 28 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1832, in the meaning defined at sense 2