ENGLISH
REFERENCE

work the crowd

idiom
Meaning

To work the room, or to do the equivalent with an outdoor audience.


Examples
SIMPLE

The performer knows how to work the crowd.

CONTEXTUAL

The politician walked through the hall to work the crowd and shake hands with every voter.

COMPLEX

By moving effortlessly between tables and sharing personal anecdotes, the speaker managed to work the crowd until the entire room felt connected to his message.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    beat the crowd

    To arrive at a location or complete a task before a large group of people do so.

  2. 02

    busy work

    Work or activity performed with the intention or result of occupying time, and not necessarily to accomplish something productive; routine work of low priority undertaken for the sake of avoiding idleness.

  3. 03

    close enough for government work

    Adequate; acceptable as government work, imperfect but not worth the time nor effort of improving.

  4. 04

    crazy enough to work

    Acknowledging that an idea, plan, or strategy seems foolish, implausible, or risky, yet might succeed precisely because of its unconventional or unexpected nature.

  5. 05

    crowd in on

    To join when not wanted; to force one's way into a situation where one is unwelcome.

  6. 06

    crowd sail

    To carry an unusual amount of sail in an attempt to accelerate the speed of a vessel.

  7. 07

    detective work

    investigative research

  8. 08

    dirty work

    One or more unpleasant tasks, assignments, or employment duties, especially those of a disreputable or illicit nature.

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