Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
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

That demeanour off the pitch was reflected in some brilliant performances on the pitch - great goals, leadership, flair, composure under pressure and more work off the ball than I've ever seen from him.

From BBC Jul. 20, 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

At evening he would walk monotonously around the room, unable to work off a new feeling of energy.

From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 12,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training