work away
phrasal verb·1 sense·particle away
Meanings
Keep working steadily for a long time
Why “away”? Away can mean you keep doing something for a while. You write away, chat away, or work away.
“She's been working away at her novel for months.”
“He worked away at the model ship all winter.”
Don't confuse with
Work away means keep working steadily for a long time. Work around means find a way past an obstacle.
Test yourself
“She's been working away at her novel for months.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
work around
A contrast learners often mix up
Find a way past an obstacle
beaver away
Same away pattern: persistence
Work busily and persistently
blast away
Same away pattern: persistence
Continue firing weapons or playing loud music for an extended time
chat away
Same away pattern: persistence
Talk on at length, contentedly
hammer away
Same away pattern: persistence
Keep hammering or pressing on something
plug away
Same away pattern: persistence
Persist with a difficult task
scribble away
Same away pattern: persistence
Keep writing in a busy fashion
sing away
Same away pattern: persistence
Keep singing happily on your own
Sink In — iOS & Android
Practice “work away” in Sink In
Drill “work away” and 1,300+ other phrasal verbs with spaced repetition, organised by the particle patterns that connect them.
- Learn the pattern behind dozens of verbs at once — not one-off translations.
- Spaced repetition (SM-2) brings each meaning back right before you forget.
- Four practice modes train recall and discrimination, not just recognition.
