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.
Some of those very same vistas may have inspired the works he rendered for our astoundment and pleasure on his show.
From Salon • May 2, 2026
The idea of a jazz festival had been in the works for a long time with its origins being traced back to the opposite end of the island during a trip to Cork.
From BBC • May 1, 2026
A potential deal in the works includes employees paying zero to $630 a month in healthcare premiums — depending on their choice of health plan.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 29, 2026
A voice assistant is also in the works, letting people navigate the app through natural conversation.
From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026
Glóin began then to talk of the works of his people, telling Frodo about their great labours in Dale and under the Mountain.
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
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.
