as in licked
to strike repeatedly
the mob boss's thugs really worked him over
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Recent Examples of worked over
And Welch would know; the seasoned consultant, business columnist, and news contributor has witnessed what has worked over the past four decades.
—
Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 12 Sep. 2025
Bradley worked over a pair of walks in the first inning, getting out unscathed.
—Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 31 Aug. 2025
White worked over the paragraph a third time, and telegraphed it to the magazine.
—Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2025
Sikoa worked over Zayn, even slamming him with the Spinning Solo for a nearfall.
—Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 12 Sep. 2025
Bradley worked over a pair of walks in the first inning, getting out unscathed.
—Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 31 Aug. 2025
White worked over the paragraph a third time, and telegraphed it to the magazine.
—Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2025
Sikoa worked over Zayn, even slamming him with the Spinning Solo for a nearfall.
—Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for worked over
Verb
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The afternoon sun licked the windscreen of the car, and the heat boiled my skin.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Sep. 2025
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Paul Volcker, the chair of the Federal Reserve at the time, had licked inflation, and the stock market was rising after seventeen years of going sideways.—
L. David Marquet,
Big Think,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The rain pounded so hard Friday afternoon that Aventura police closed a portion of Biscayne Boulevard from 191st Street to 29th Avenue, near Aventura Mall, due to road flooding.—
Howard Cohen,
Miami Herald,
5 Sep. 2025
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Room for Disagreement Republicans have pounded every Sanders endorsee as a socialist and linked Cooke to her left-wing supporters, regardless of her alignment with their specific policy positions.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The president has frequently lashed out at celebrities who have spoken out against him, recently including the likes of Taylor Swift, Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel.—
Michael Nied,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
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Ben-Gvir, who leads a small far-right ultranationalist party, lashed out at the court ruling Sunday.—
Natalie Melzer,
Twin Cities,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The actress whipped out some ballerina dance moves to ensure each pair was still comfortable enough for any and all activities.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
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This mordant delight — about two young men who befriend one another in a support group for people who’ve lost a twin — whipped the Eccles theater into a frenzy with its cuttingly dark laughs and unexpected plot twists.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Johnson’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday, nor did HUD officials.—
Lizzie Kane,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Aug. 2025
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The two men then said Smollett paid them to stage the attack, and Smollett was charged with filing a false police report; the charges were later dropped after Smollett paid a fine and did community service.—
Rick Porter,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
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When the financial crisis hit in 2008, Mindy Fitzpatrick considered selling her family’s 6-acre wooded lot on Friendly Road.—
Lisa Cericola,
Southern Living,
9 Sep. 2025
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Sticker shock, though, is expected to hit when consumers shop for 2026 model year cars and trucks as more of those vehicles arrive at dealer lots, according to Cox Automotive.—
Susan Tompor,
USA Today,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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After hooking his tee shot into trees on the adjacent 16th hole, Scheffler punched out, walked back to the 18th fairway, and shot over tents and trees to land 40 feet from the flag.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
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The late, great Red Sox legend Luis Tiant also punched out 11 in his MLB debut, but with Cleveland on July 19, 1964; his performance was exactly four years after Hall of Famer Juan Marichal racked up 12 in his first career game on July 19, 1960.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Grant Delpit turned heads during the 2024 NFL season when his strong tackle knocked 252-pound running back Derrick Henry to the turf.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
12 Sep. 2025
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Progressives fumbled their 2022 campaigns for the seat, when multiple candidates with left-wing credentials knocked each other out, letting Goldman prevail with just 26% of the vote.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Worked over.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worked%20over. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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