noun
Etymology
Origin of legwork
Explanation
If you've ever spent time doing research, or trying to get information from people, you'll understand why we call it legwork: It's something that takes physical effort, and it usually means you have to get out from behind a desk. Legwork refers to the work that happens when a project is in an early stage. You could be asking people for interviews, collecting information, conducting surveys — the possibilities are endless! It's called legwork because it contrasts with sitting down to write up what you found out. These days, though, a lot of legwork also happens from behind a desk: If you're gathering information or other material for a project, you can still call it legwork, even if you didn't travel or walk around to do it.
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.
Ms. Adelman has put in considerable legwork to complete this book, her enthusiasm leading her occasionally down rabbit holes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026
But it isn’t straightforward, and it will require legwork.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 14, 2025
While lawyers and their staff do much of the legwork for trial preparation, a client works with their attorneys to help formulate a defense.
From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2025
It is billed as a product that "can take the legwork out of searching" though users are warned it is experimental.
From BBC ● May 24, 2024
Did he not do all of Willoughby’s legwork?
From "Go Set a Watchman: A Novel" by Harper Lee
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.
