From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishwork something ↔ off phrasal verb1 GET RID OFto get rid of something, especially a feeling such as anger, nervousness etc, by doing something that uses a lot of your energy Walking is excellent for working off tension. I need to go and work off a few of these calories.2 to do a job for someone else because you owe them money or because they have helped you in the past She hasn’t worked off her debts to me yet. → work→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
work off• And their work has paid off.• Gale force winds could not blow away the players' enthusiasm but they did make it very hard work.• Months of hard work had paid off.• Finally, time work took off and she decided to become self-employed.• Whether or not the campaign work will pay off for Wilson with a spot on a possible Dole ticket is unclear.• I worked on and off on Tremayne's book for the rest of the morning but found it hard to concentrate.• I had to give the ball up, and then I had work my butt off to get it back.• And, I justify to myself, she worked her butt off to graduate with honors and hefty scholarships. 