work 1 of 2

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2
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as in to serve
to have a certain purpose the human kidneys work as a filtering system for the blood

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

5
6
as in to operate
to control the mechanical operation of show me how to work the machine

Synonyms & Similar Words

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8

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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
Traders work on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) floor on Feb. 20, 2025 in New York City. Bob Pisani, CNBC, 24 Feb. 2025 But in the end, Mackintosh isn’t wrong, that most — maybe not all — of these show tunes work as stand-alones… especially the tear-stirrers. Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Feb. 2025
Noun
In Frame’s work, self-articulation is a kind of infinity, hitched to other kinds, like love or death. Audrey Wollen, The New Yorker, 25 Feb. 2025 The Marshall product, who led the FBS with 17 sacks, can put his head down, go to work and fit in nicely on a small-market team with plenty to prove. David Ubben, The Athletic, 25 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for work
Recent Examples of Synonyms for work
Verb
  • Skin rashes, sudden allergies, hypersensitivity, and re-emerging latent viruses like the kind that cause mononucleosis and herpes are common among space crews.
    Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 27 Feb. 2025
  • These medications kill the bacteria that caused the infection.
    Sarah Hudgens, Health, 27 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Preparing For The Future AI can and will do many amazing things, but right now, adopting this technology shouldn’t be about chasing the flashiest capabilities or solving the most complex problems.
    Hunter Steele, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025
  • Getting to Genius, Part 2: Becoming Queen Bee Sept. 11, 2023 Join us here to solve Crosswords, The Mini and other games by The New York Times.
    New York Times Games, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The Joint Chiefs of Staff is a group of senior uniformed leaders who serve as the top military advisers to the president and Department of Defense officials.
    Isabel Danzis, ABC News, 23 Feb. 2025
  • Where once there was only a single spot for raw fish enthusiasts, there are now several restaurants scattered across the valley, serving everything from delicate nigiri to full omakase experiences.
    Jenn Rice, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Other performances were more obviously cathartic, such as the aptly named ‘Emergency Concert’ performed by Treppenhaus Quartet from Germany.
    Anna Haines, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
  • Elsewhere Thursday morning on Wall Street, KBW downgraded Goldman Sachs to market perform from outperform .
    Fred Imbert, CNBC, 27 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • So, does your workplace use curiosity to drive meaningful results?
    Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
  • Harbour remains bullish on the stock longer term, however, anticipating that Chipotle’s consistent unit sales, strong balance sheet and use of automation to cut costs and drive margins could be some key growth drivers for the company.
    Pia Singh, CNBC, 3 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The streaming service operates in about half the territories of major competitors Netflix and Disney, but expects to roughly match their reach over time, according to company spokespeople.
    David Bloom, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
  • The company eventually owned and operated six production studios in Vancouver and Toronto.
    Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Meanwhile, Courtney Eaton is still struggling to accept Lottie’s fate while playing the character’s teen counterpart in the ’90s wilderness.
    Glenn Garner, Deadline, 28 Feb. 2025
  • And that excludes the knock on effects that might ensue The aerospace industry, and Boeing in particular, has been struggling for the past five years to shore up its fragile supply chain in the wake of the pandemic shutdown and multiple quality issues.
    Jerrold Lundquist, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The intrigue: There's growing speculation that the Vikes could use the franchise tag on Darnold and then trade him to another team that is desperate for a quarterback, like the Las Vegas Raiders or New York Giants.
    Nick Halter, Axios, 24 Feb. 2025
  • New York has three days off in the first 15 days of the season, meaning the team won’t need to use a fifth starter until April 8 (the 11th game) or a sixth starter until April 16 (the 18th game).
    Will Sammon, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025

Cite this Entry

“Work.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/work. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.

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