woodwork

noun

wood·​work ˈwu̇d-ˌwərk 

1

: work made of wood

especially : interior fittings (such as moldings or stairways) of wood

2

: a place or state of concealment, seclusion, or anonymity

witnesses came out of the woodwork when a reward was offered

Examples of woodwork in a Sentence

We painted the walls white and the woodwork red.

The kick hit the woodwork.

Recent Examples on the Web

Expect more interested TikTok buyers to come out of the woodwork to rescue the popular social media app, whose long-term future in the U.S. is still very much in jeopardy. —Tim Baysinger, Axios, 21 Jan. 2025

One of the suite’s most stylish features is its 800-square-foot, boutique-like closet with ample backlit shelf space lining the room beneath eye-catching woodwork. —Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 25 Oct. 2024

He is later chased into a library and attacked until Taylah comes from out of the woodwork and saves the day. —Esther Kang, People.com, 13 Jan. 2025

And several Democrats have come out of the woodwork to support some Trump picks, particularly Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) for secretary of State. —Alex Gangitano, The Hill, 13 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1609, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing woodwork

• come/crawl out of the woodwork
• fade into the woodwork
• into the woodwork

Kids Definition

woodwork

noun

wood·​work -ˌwərk 

: work made of wood

especially : interior fittings (as window frames or stairways) of wood