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]
-
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
A simulated game is also in the works for the 33-year-old outfielder before a rehab game early next week, Roberts said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 17, 2026
That winter, he and Chakrabarti pored over the works of Paul Cret, the French-American architect who designed the Federal Reserve, the Folger Shakespeare Library and other buildings around Washington and beyond.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 13, 2026
It added that the works he leaves behind remain "dazzling, alive and eternal".
From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026
In some cases, we know only the tantalizing titles of the works that were destroyed.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
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.
