work off

verb

worked off; working off; works off

transitive verb

: to dispose of or get rid of by work or activity

Examples of work off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The 24-hour health club includes a full range of fitness equipment to help work off all those scones and clotted cream. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026 Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Johnson, the Eagles' 2023 nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, also did plenty of work off the field. — Cbs Philadelphia, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026 Almost nobody talks about the quality of the information that the AI is working off of. — Chai Outmezguine, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026 Carter did a fantastic job working off the block to get his hands on Baker Mayfield before Myles Murphy finished him off. — Paul Dehner Jr, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for work off

Word History

First Known Use

1618, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of work off was in 1618

Rhymes for work off

See All Rhymes for work off

Browse Nearby Words

work of art
work off
work on
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Work off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/work%20off. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of deportment

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All