the works
Idioms-
Everything, the full range of possibilities, as in He ordered a pizza with the works , or All right, tell me, give me the works on it . This usage derives from works in the sense of “a complete set of parts for a machine or mechanism.” [ Colloquial ; late 1800s]
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A beating or other severe treatment. This usage is often put as give someone the works , as in They took him outside and gave him the works . [ Slang ; first half of 1900s]
Example Sentences
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From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
All of that was put in place or is in the works because the Rams, who won the Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium in 2022, have a chance to do it again.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
Brisbane Road-specific guidance has since been added to their event day accessible parking section on 'Ask Spurs', while a matchday-specific guide is in the works.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Experts said such a deal had been in the works for a considerable period, but some raised concerns about the potential for enrichment on Saudi soil.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
No longer did my teachers lay open for me the book of Nature and speak of botany and zoology; no longer was I given the works of Shakespeare and Pope to con.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
