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.
Although the company’s latest earnings report released in early March provided some signs that a recovery may be in the works, the stock continued to fall.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026
In fact, such a thing had been in the works since the 1950s, but instead of hurrying to get them assembly-line ready as L.A. was sickening with smog, Detroit just made bigger, filthier cars.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026
Environmental consulting firm Icon, brought in by the landowner, said the council had not provided the legal or technical evidence needed to justify the works.
From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026
“What we’re seeing now is a world that’s actually quite contested,” she said, adding the military plans were in the works well before the Chinese maneuvers.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026
It would have been easier if he could believe there were some motive, some sort of revenge in the works, or some other manner of scheming.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
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.
