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Synonyms

work off

British  

verb

  1. to get rid of or dissipate, as by effort

    he worked off some of his energy by digging the garden

  2. to discharge (a debt) by labour rather than payment

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

work off Idioms  
  1. Get rid of by work or effort, as in They worked off that big dinner by running on the beach, or It'll take him months to work off that debt. [Second half of 1600s]


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.

See Examples For:

Long before Bad Bunny became one of the most popular artists in the world, Beltrán devoted his work off the field to helping Puerto Rican youths and promoting his island.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 26, 2026

He thinks this is partly because AI took so much scut work off people’s plates that their days became consumed by high-level thinking—and they were burning out.

From The Wall Street Journal Jan. 8, 2026

King's pioneering work off the court paid off: women now receive equal prize money to the men at each of the four majors.

From Barron's Dec. 27, 2025

She scored in the final of the Euros and found her groove for her club, playing a crucial role throughout the season in front of goal and with her work off the ball.

From BBC Sep. 22, 2025

Every Saturday they go to a spin class to work off the calories, and then they do brunch.

From "Harbor Me" by Jacqueline Woodson

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