work out phrasal verb ( see also ↑ work )
1 . PLAN work something ↔ out 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 ↔ out 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 English 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 . COST if a cost or amount works out at a particular figure, it is found to be that much when you calculate it
work 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 BETTER 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 . HAPPEN if a situation works out in a particular way, it happens in that way SYN turn out
work out well/badly
Financially, things have worked out well for us.
7 . EXERCISE to make your body fit and strong by doing exercises:
He works out with weights twice a week.
⇨ ↑ workout
8 . I can’t work somebody out British English spoken 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 out if a mine is worked out, all the coal, gold etc has been removed from it