1
as in operating
being in effective operation
the only working coal mine in the area
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in applied
capable of being put to use or account
as a would-be independent filmmaker, you'll need a working knowledge of motion picture photography and editing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in engaged
involved in often constant activity
a boss who is of the opinion that a working employee is a needed employee, as idleness is a sign of dispensability
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in creating
to be the cause of (a situation, action, or state of mind)
this new drug can really work wonders
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in solving
to find an answer for through reasoning
finally figured out how to work the math problem
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in acting
to have a certain purpose
the human kidneys work as a filtering system for the blood
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in performing
to produce a desired effect
this headache remedy takes half an hour to work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in driving
to set or keep in motion
this pump is worked by hand
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in using
to control the mechanical operation of
show me how to work the machine
Synonyms & Similar Words
7
as in laboring
to devote serious and sustained effort
the organization has worked for years to raise people's awareness of human rights issues
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
8
as in exploiting
to take unfair advantage of
a young boy who worked his aunt for all she was worth in toys and candy when she visited once a year
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of working
Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 9 Apr. 2026
The amenities include two resident lounges, a co-working space and a fitness center.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 9 Apr. 2026
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 26 Apr. 2026
There’s thousands of agents that are working every day to protect this country.
—NBC news, 26 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for working
Adjective
With beanbags, open-plan layouts, and students working on laptops and tablets, Alpha schools resemble a lounge or co-working space more than a traditional classroom.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 9 Apr. 2026
The amenities include two resident lounges, a co-working space and a fitness center.
—Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 9 Apr. 2026
Verb
Yakusho, 70, has been a defining presence in Japanese cinema for four decades, working across crime thrillers, historical epics, and international co-productions.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 26 Apr. 2026
There’s thousands of agents that are working every day to protect this country.
—NBC news, 26 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for working
Recent Examples of Synonyms for working
Adjective
-
Exxon operates some of the wells directly and holds a financial, non-operating interest in the others.—
Rachel Nostrant,
Houston Chronicle,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Last year, though revenue and operating profit increased, non-operating red ink pushed the company into a full-year loss of NT$766 million, or $25 million.—
Russell Flannery,
Forbes.com,
26 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
The heavy investment by the state in the demolition is seen as evidence that the city is serious about developing the applied AI center.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
24 Apr. 2026
-
His attorney, Ava Benach, said Vedam hopes to live with a relative in Sacramento and has been offered a spot in Oregon State University’s doctoral program in applied anthropology.—
Mark Scolforo,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Even if a fraction of the clip audience watches or listens to the entirety of something, that audience tends to be very engaged and usually motivated to pay for that content.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The engaged core audience became brand ambassadors, and the resulting social reach was the best launch the client had ever had.—
Kennedy French,
Variety,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Altman pitched the conversion as critical to securing the vast amount of funding OpenAI needs to fulfill its mission of creating artificial general intelligence — or AGI — that will benefit humanity.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
27 Apr. 2026
-
In 2015, Musk, Altman, Greg Brockman, and a handful of others cofounded OpenAI as a nonprofit with the mission of creating AI for the benefit of humanity.—
Tom Dotan,
Vanity Fair,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The sheep rise to the occasion and use all the mental mystery-solving skills George and his stories have left behind.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The one-million-cubic-meter-level salt cavern hydrogen storage demonstration project began operation in Pingdingshan on Saturday, signaling progress in solving one of hydrogen energy’s biggest challenges.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
With Sturm acting as the third forward high on the shift and Quinn Hughes busy breaking ankles all over the zone and reading perfectly off Brock Faber, McCarron won a puck battle with Heiskanen after Jake Oettinger couldn’t swallow a Faber shot 13 seconds before Foligno’s eventual goal.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Between Dua’s world tour and Callum’s acting gigs, the pair managed to squeeze in a sunny escape to the gorgeous Italian island last summer, with their adventures across the island going viral within minutes of them leaving each spot.—
Connor Sturges,
Condé Nast Traveler,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Weijia Jiang, president of the White House Correspondents' Association, said in a statement that the renowned performing artist will offer a thrilling glimpse into the minds of newsmakers.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2026
-
For the project, Theron, famous for performing the vast majority of her stunts in action films like Atomic Blonde and The Old Guard, trained with rock climber Beth Rodden to believably portray Sasha, an avid adventurer.—
Nigel Smith,
PEOPLE,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
For Ioane, that comes in the form of driving a defensive lineman into the ground to clear a path for his quarterback or running back.—
Jeff Zrebiec,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
But the judge said that Hallford made credible claims of being a victim of domestic violence and that her ex-husband, Jon Hallford, was the driving force in their relationship.—
Colleen Slevin,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Working.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/working. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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