work out

British  

verb

1. (tr) to achieve or accomplish by effort

2. (tr) to solve or find out by reasoning or calculation

   to work out an answer

   to work out a sum

3. (tr) to devise or formulate

   to work out a plan

4. (intr) to prove satisfactory or effective

   did your plan work out?

5. (intr) to happen as specified

   it all worked out well

6. (intr) to take part in physical exercise, as in training

7. (tr) to remove all the mineral in (a mine, body of ore, etc) that can be profitably exploited

8. (intr; often foll by to or at) to reach a total

   your bill works out at a pound

9. informal (tr) to understand the real nature of

   I shall never work you out

---

noun

1. a session of physical exercise, esp for training or practice

work out Idioms  

1. Accomplish by work or effort, as in I think we can work out a solution to this problem . [1500s] For work out all right , see turn out all right .

2. Find a solution for, solve, as in They hoped to work out their personal differences , or Can you help me work out this equation? [Mid-1800s]

3. Formulate or develop, as in We were told to work out a new plan , or He's very good at working out complicated plots . [Early 1800s]

4. Discharge a debt by working instead of paying money, as in She promised she'd work out the rest of the rent by baby-sitting for them . [Second half of 1600s]

5. Prove effective or successful, as in I wonder if their marriage will work out .

6. Have a specific result, add up, as in It worked out that she was able to go to the party after all , or The total works out to more than a million . [Late 1800s]

7. Engage in strenuous exercise for physical conditioning, as in He works out with weights every other day . [1920s]

8. Exhaust a resource, such as a mine, as in This mine has been completely worked out . [Mid-1500s]

---

Example Sentences

It doesn’t look like the plan to have locals purchase tickets and fill the seats for the venues is going to work out the way LA28 thought it would.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2026

If you’re a family that needs to sit together, for example, it’s not necessarily going to work out well if you leave it to the airline to assign your seats.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026

Iran is requiring ships to work out toll arrangements ahead of time and then pay the fees in cryptocurrency or yuan, mediators and ship brokers said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

"The American group can come to us and, after us, go to Moscow. If it does not work out with three parties, let's do it this way," he added.

From Barron's • Apr. 4, 2026

One might wonder why the Athenians and the Spartans did not sit down over a nice cup of tea and work out their differences, but they did not.

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood

Related Words

• accomplish
• achieve
• arrange
• come out
• complete
• develop
• devise
• figure out
• fix
• form
• formulate
• handle
• happen
• resolve
• win