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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A new model developed jointly by Cursor and SpaceX is also in the works and will launch on both Cursor and Grok Build.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 19, 2026
Their second feature, “The Ballad of the Phoenix,” a medieval fantasy, is already in the works.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 15, 2026
Analysts have questioned whether the stand-alone companies could sell stakes in their assets once the demerger is completed, but Agarwal said there are no such plans in the works.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 15, 2026
It added that the works he leaves behind remain "dazzling, alive and eternal".
From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026
He sat and ran his hand around in the works of the gutted machines and in the second one it closed over a cold metal cylinder.
From "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy
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.
