Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

work on

British  

verb

  1. (intr, preposition) to persuade or influence or attempt to persuade or influence

"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 on Idioms  
  1. Also, work upon. Exercise influence on, as in If you work on him, he might change his mind, or She always worked upon their feelings by pretending to be more ill than she really was. [Early 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.

Curic challenged Kendall to show his technology would work on an unfamiliar Jeep in unfamiliar Michigan.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 28, 2026

Their work on machine learning and intelligence had convinced them that AI could solve the problems of self-driving systems being developed at the time.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 28, 2026

Uruguay played no warm-up games before the World Cup, opting instead for intensive work on the training ground that produced a new system - Valverde wide right and two strikers.

From BBC • Jun. 26, 2026

The center had much to show for its work on earth systems modeling and had made technical progress on carbon capture and storage.

From Salon • Jun. 26, 2026

He likes to work on his own, outside the system of huts, with a few handpicked assistants.

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember "work on" for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com