What does "legwork" mean?

Work, especially research or preparation, that involves significant walking, travel, or similar effort.

How do you pronounce "legwork"?

Pronounced //ˈlɛɡˌwɜːk//.

Common synonyms include: amassing evidence, ambling, ambulation, backpacking, close inquiry, constitutional.

//ˈlɛɡˌwɜːk// noun

noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Noun

1
Work, especially research or preparation, that involves significant walking, travel, or similar effort. uncountable, usually
"In addition to spreading more information, brokers are going to have to do some leg work to get new customers."
2
Skillful or vigorous use of the legs, as in dance or sports. uncountable, usually
""Watriss, No. 3, is rowing well. . . . His leg work is very fair.""

"In addition to spreading more information, brokers are going to have to do some leg work to get new customers."

From leg + work.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.