Meaning
- To exercise (physically).
- To find a solution to a problem.
- To have a good result or favorable outcome.
- To do the math or calculate something.
- To develop a plan, relationship, or situation.
Today’s Sentences
01
I work out at least three times a week.
Situation
Hey, do you work out regularly?
Yeah, I work out at least three times a week.
That’s great!
What kind of workouts do you usually do?
I go for a light run, it really helps me stay energized.
02
Things didn’t work out between them.
Situation
Did you hear about Mia and Jake?
Yeah, I did.
Things didn’t work out between them, right?
Yeah, they said they had different goals in life.
It’s a shame—they seemed really happy at first.
Writer’s Note
The phrasal verb 「work out」 can be transitive, intransitive, and separable.
- Transitive – A verb phrase (a verb combined with one or more particles like prepositions or adverbs) that requires a direct object to complete its meaning. For the phrasal verb 「work out」 it can be separable in transitive form.
Example 1: I worked out the solution.
Example 2: I worked it out.
Example 3: She worked out the total cost. - Intransitive – It acts independently and describes the subject’s action without needing an object to be acted upon. In this case, when the sentence is intransitive, it cannot be separable.
Example 1: I work out every morning.
Example 2: I hope everything works out in the end. - Separable – Where the verb and its particle (preposition or adverb) can be separated by the object of the verb.
Example 1: She worked it out on her own without asking for help.
Example 2: They worked it out to be about $1,200 in expenses.
Related words for work out: exercise, get in shape, hit the gym, train, work on your fitness.
Related words for solve/understand: decode, figure out, get to the bottom of, solve, unravel.
Related words for good results: come together, fall into place, go well, pan out, succeed.
Related words for calculate: calculate, compute, determine, estimate, reckon.
