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

Curtis is the co-founder of Comic Relief U.K. and USA; his fundraising work over 40 years has helped raise more than $2 billion. —Paul Grein, Billboard, 12 June 2024

Cops were still working over the weekend to identify the second body, which was found 2 to 3 feet underneath a basement crawlspace after a cadaver dog was brought in, the New Castle News reported Sunday. —Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 9 June 2024

Polk is big and tough enough with strong hands to work over the middle, but features great body control and enough speed to win deep as well. —The San Diego Union-Tribune, Hartford Courant, 25 Apr. 2024

And the four GameCube controller ports are actually headphone jacks that work over a special adapter. —Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 19 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1832, in the meaning defined at sense 2