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.
"Beijing thinks this judgment is the final word. It isn't. The appeal is already in the works," Luke Pollard, head of the residents' association, said in a statement.
From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026
This isn't just limited to old-fashioned detective novels or psychological thrillers, but can be anything from true crime and spy stories to supernatural horrors like the works of Stephen King's books.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
The housing project, which was billed as a four-story, 22-unit residential condominium development, has been in the works since at least 2017, but appears to have stalled several years ago.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Mr. Morris’s 2025 “Pizzica,” the newest of the works here, had its New York premiere on the “Jazz and Pop” program.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
I had bought a cake and some candy, and we had tea and cookies, the works, but neither Hello nor I felt like sitting stiffly on our chairs.
From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
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.
