work out — develop successfully
phrasal verbB2IELTS 6+neutralcommon
to happen or develop in a good or successful way.
Say it like a native
Textbook I am confident the arrangement will prove successful.
Native I'm sure it'll all work out.
'Work out' is the natural, reassuring way to say something turns out well; the formal version is cold.
Pattern: work out (no object) | work out for [someone]
In use
- Everything worked out in the end, and we caught our flight.daily life
- Sometimes, even if you face difficulties, things can work out if you stay positive.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ Don't worry, it will work out well by itself.
✓ Don't worry, it'll all work out.
'Work out' already implies a good result; 'work out well' is fine but 'it'll all work out' is the natural set phrase.
Common collocations
work out + outcome— in the end, fine, for the best, between them
Don't confuse it
Not about effort or solving—this is about the result being good.
Related
- work out (exercise) — Another meaning of 'work out' is 'exercise'; compare the examples to keep the meanings separate.