work off

verb

worked off; working off; works off

transitive verb

: to dispose of or get rid of by work or activity

Examples of work off in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Henderson, who had spent decades working for the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, had retired from the department a few months before the crash but was still working off-duty assignments. — ABC News, 23 Oct. 2026 But leftists, working off the same evidence, have long argued for precisely the opposite. — Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026 Brought to Spain, the Colombian prostitutes are required to work off a debt run up by not only the airfare but much more. — John Hopewell, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026 Soon after, Mattei was in charge of visiting hospitals in northern California where workers were allegedly being forced to work off the clock. — Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for work off

Word History

First Known Use

1618, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of work off was in 1618

Rhymes for work off

See All Rhymes for work off

Browse Nearby Words

work of art
work off
work on
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Work off.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/work%20off. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of grotesque

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All