work at
phrasal verb·1 sense·particle at
Meanings
Make steady effort on a task or skill
Why “at”? AT can show steady effort on one task. The effort stays on the same point.
“Nina works at her English every evening.”
“He worked at the puzzle for an hour.”
Test yourself
“Nina works at her English every evening.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
be at
Same at pattern: effort
Be in a particular place or point; Be doing something again, often something annoying
go at
Same at pattern: effort
Work on something with strong energy; Attack or argue with strong energy
have at
Same at pattern: effort
Start doing something eagerly
keep at
Same at pattern: effort
Continue trying with effort
pick at
Same at pattern: effort
Touch or pull small parts repeatedly
work against
Same base verb: work
Make success less likely
work around
Same base verb: work
Find a way past an obstacle
work away
Same base verb: work
Keep working steadily for a long time
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