worked out

verb

past tense of work out
1
as in solved
to find an answer for through reasoning by putting our heads together, we were able to work out the problem

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in developed
to produce or bring about especially by long or repeated effort worked out a compromise between the warring factions

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in succeeded
to turn out as planned or desired our plans for a ski vacation just didn't work out

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in calculated
to determine (a value) by doing the necessary mathematical operations after working out the cost of a college education, we've decided that it's never too early to start saving

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of worked out White Sox reliever Grant Taylor, who got the final out of the sixth, worked out of a jam in the seventh by striking out Durbin to leave runners on the corners. — Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026 It’s called the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability, and the physics behind it was worked out in the late 1860s. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 7 Aug. 2026 But major details still need to be worked out, according to Reuters. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 7 Aug. 2026 Mitchell has already worked out with new Heat teammate Giannis Antetokounmpo in Greece and gone through workouts in Spain this offseason. — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 6 Aug. 2026 Amazon’s willingness to take TNF off the hands of Fox (which subsequently opted out of the final season of its deal) worked out in everyone’s favor, but no Big Tech player has yet to commandeer a package of similar import. — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 31 July 2026 The Newsoms paid between $518,000 and $873,000 in taxes per year, which worked out to a federal income tax rate of 30% to 35% per year, according to his office. — Lia Russell, Sacbee.com, 31 July 2026 Brandin Podziemski attended several recent summer league practices and worked out in the background. — Nick Friedell, New York Times, 31 July 2026 Adames and Chapman have full no-trade clauses in their contracts, which usually can be worked out, although Chapman’s agent, Scott Boras, recently told John Shea of the San Francisco Standard that Chapman isn’t going anywhere. — Barry M. Bloom, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for worked out
  1. solved
  2. developed
  3. succeeded
  4. calculated
  5. answered
  6. forged
  7. went
  8. figured
Verb
  • What Arcade Actually Bought At its core, Smithery solved a discovery and packaging problem.
    — Janakiram MSV, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Museum officials initially lowered blackout shades over the windows, which solved the conservation problem but created another one.
    — Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of solved
Verb
  • Over the following months, Harrison developed pneumonia and gut failure and also suffered a stroke.
    — Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Even before the war, the country had already developed a large legal profession, sophisticated corporate firms, and distinctive constitutional institutions, although European legal systems retained greater intellectual prestige.
    — Mark Jia, Foreign Affairs, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of developed
Verb
  • Thus far this century, several fundamental changes in the healthcare system have succeeded in getting passed in Congress, perhaps in part due to their working more or less within the confines of an extant system.
    — Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • In the past three election cycles, the group has mostly succeeded in its efforts, helping to elect 15 members of Congress considered allies.
    — Jennifer Medina, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of succeeded
Verb
  • The demonstration calculated the electrostatic interaction energy of nitric oxide reductase, a chemically complex metalloenzyme system.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The Maya, for example, observed and calculated intervals between solar and lunar eclipses, building predictions and calendars around the pattern.
    — Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of calculated
Verb
  • From being handed important communication roles on defense to being moved around as a chess piece in multiple defensive spots, Downs has answered each challenge the coaching staff has handed him.
    — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Aug. 2026
  • And the existential questions that death tends to open, the ones usually answered through religion or community, felt easier too.
    — Sai Rajagopal, STAT, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of answered
Verb
  • Thaha Ibrahim, a Muslim, forged a profound connection with the late Sarah Cohen, one of the neighborhood's Jewish matriarchs.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • The future of emergency response demands heavy-lift, long-endurance platforms that are forged directly domestically.
    — Nia Bowers, USA Today, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of forged
Verb
  • At the beginning of the year, some volunteers within Coppell ISD went door-to-door to recruit and keep students in public education.
    — Lacey Beasley, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The 22-year-old went from playing in the fourth tier of English football to getting an unexpected call from national team head coach Sarina Wiegman.
    — Emily Olsen, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of went
Verb
  • Locals immediately figured Russian bombs—the end of the world.
    — Paige Williams, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
  • The businesses that have figured this out — the ones with performers in the queue, immersive environments, or lines that have become destinations in themselves — aren’t just reducing the pain of waiting.
    — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 31 July 2026
Definition of figured

Browse Nearby Words

worked (on)
worked out
worked over
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Cite this Entry

“Worked out.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/worked%20out. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

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