From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishwork out phrasal verb1 plan work something ↔ outPLAN to think carefully about how you are going to do something and plan a good way of doing it UN negotiators have worked out a set of compromise proposals.work out what/where/how etc We need to work out how we’re going to get there. I had it all worked out (=had made very careful plans).2 calculate work something ↔ outCOUNT/CALCULATE to calculate an answer, amount, price etc See if you can work this bill out.work out how much/how many etc We’ll have to work out how much food we’ll need for the party.3 understand work something ↔ out especially British EnglishSOLVE/FIND THE ANSWER to think about something and manage to understand it The plot is very complicated – it’ll take you a while to work it out.work something out for yourself I’m sure you can work it out for yourself.4 costTOTAL if a cost or amount works out at a particular figure, it is found to be that much when you calculate itwork out at/to £10/$500 etc The bill works out at £15 each.work out expensive/cheap etc (=be expensive or cheap) If we go by taxi, it’s going to work out very expensive.5 get betterSUCCEED IN DOING something if a problem or complicated situation works out, it gradually gets better or gets solved Things will work out, you’ll see. I hope it all works out for Gina and Andy.work itself out I’m sure everything will work itself out. 6 happenHAPPEN if a situation works out in a particular way, it happens in that way SYN turn outwork out well/badly Financially, things have worked out well for us.7 exerciseEXERCISE to make your body fit and strong by doing exercises He works out with weights twice a week. → workout8 I can’t work somebody out British English spokenUNDERSTAND used to say that you cannot understand what someone is really like or why they behave in the way they do I couldn’t work her out at all.9 be worked outTI if a mine is worked out, all the coal, gold etc has been removed from it → work→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
work out• I've found that major problems tent to either go away or somehow work themselves out.• The killer, whoever he was, had it all worked out.• We need to work out how much food we'll need to take with us.• Try not to worry. I'm sure everything will work out in the end.• Professional footballers spend at least an hour every day working out in the gym.• I always use a calculator to work out percentages.• Management consultant Peter Brant worked out the schedule in October 1983.• I'll certainly go back to my job once I've worked out who's going to look after the kids during the day.• I go jogging every morning and work out with weights twice a week.• "How much do I owe you?" "I haven't worked it out yet."work out what/where/how etc• Betty MacDougall, local historian and folklorist, was able to work out what families would have been living there in 1876.• Finally, work out how long the journey will take you, including finding the right office.• Albert was trying to work out how, much younger Percy was than he himself.• Just when you think you have worked out what reality is, you bump your nose on glass.• But in her condemnation it was difficult to work out what she was objecting to.• We have to work out where the boundaries are...• Decision on whether the message is right or wrong should at least come after working out what the message is.• A fair amount of shouting took place before they worked out what to do.work something out for yourself• I can't tell you what happened - work it out for yourself.• It didn't take a psychic to see that Annie had worked that out for herself.• Often you need to work things out for yourself.• They have worked them out for themselves; they share them with the politicians.work out expensive/cheap etc• This generally works out cheaper, allows you to incorporate photographs and colour and produces a better result.• This process can work out expensive but you can achieve the look of long hair instantly!• A good quality bed has a lifespan of 10 to 15 years, and so works out cheaper in the long run.• It probably works out cheaper than a conventional carphone.• Employers should note, however, that service flats do not always work out cheaper than hotels.work itself out• The situation should work itself out.• I suppose you thought everything would somehow miraculously work itself out.• Oh well, she would do her best and it would no doubt work itself out.• This will all work itself out.• It even works itself out a few miles into the subs soil at the shore-lines.work out well/badly• I hope your new job works out well.• Besides, I argued with myself, the trip would work out well.• Everything seemed to be working out well.• From several perspectives this project has worked out well.• He chose to stay, although it hasn't always worked out well.• Things, he reflected, had worked out well.• Unfortunately, the commission did not work out well.• I was working out well, an investment with the promise of paying out.• Evidently the carrier landings didn't work out well as those operations and their filming was quickly terminated.be worked out• But surely something of this kind can be worked out.• Helms indicated payment should be withheld until the United Nations completed reforms, but said the differences could be worked out.• In Example 12 the temperature change over a time interval was to be worked out.• Bakker believed that dinosaur speed could, reasonably accurately enough, be worked out from the angle of the limb joints.• It is essentially something which must become part of our daily lives, and be worked out in and through them.• The compromise was worked out in huddles that went late into the night Tuesday and concluded Wednesday.• Among the many details to be worked out is where the construction dollars would come from.• When the iron ore was worked out the township including the school would pack up and move on.From Longman Business Dictionarywork out phrasal verb1[transitive] work something ↔ out to calculate an amount, price, or valueWe need to work out how much they owe us.Can anyone work this bill out?2[intransitive] if something works out at a particular amount, you calculate that it costs that amount atThe bill works out at £15 each.If we employ contract workers, it’s going to work out very expensive.3work something ↔ out [transitive] to think carefully about how you are going to do something and plan a good way of doing itThe leading industrial nations have agreed to work out some arrangements for debt rescheduling.4be worked outMANUFACTURING if a mine is worked out, all the coal, gold etc has been removed from it → work→ See Verb table 