How to Use in (good) working order in a Sentence

in (good) working order

idiom
Definition of in (good) working ordernext
  • Please do them at venues with 100 people or less, get the joke in working order and then present it to me.
    — Kaitlin Stevens, Peoplemag, 12 May 2024
  • Plug in each strand of lights to make sure all the bulbs are in working order.
    — Taysha Murtaugh, Country Living, 9 Dec. 2022
  • To ensure yours have great light, make sure all of your bulbs are in working order.
    — Kristine Gill, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Aug. 2022
  • Clean them at least once every few weeks to keep them free from stains and in good working order.
    — Andrea Crowley, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Jan. 2023
  • Both types of cooling units must be kept in good working order.
    — Anita Snow, USA TODAY, 25 July 2023
  • Firearms had to be in working order, be unloaded and left in the trunk of a vehicle.
    — City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Dec. 2023
  • An instrument of such scale is hard to keep in working order.
    — Laura Preston, The New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2022
  • The ship’s radio was in working order, and both men’s parachutes were untouched.
    — Greg Daugherty, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Aug. 2022
  • While sharpening removes steel from the knife to create a new edge, honing realigns the wire in the edge of the blade to keep it in working order.
    — Audrey Bruno, SELF, 27 Jan. 2023
  • All three completed the 12-hour dive unscathed and in working order.
    — Carol Besler, Robb Report, 11 Mar. 2022
  • In addition to making sure the chairlift is in working order, there is a need to make sure the public has access to meetings.
    — cleveland, 6 Dec. 2022
  • The animatronics appeared in good working order and the dining room was clean and well taken care of.
    — Linze Rice, Chicago Tribune, 8 Sep. 2023
  • Initial findings appear to show that smoke detectors in the home were not in working order and did not alert residents.
    — Drew Dawson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2022
  • There were no injuries from this fire, but Neumann said smoke detectors and fire doors were in working order at the time and may have prevented injuries.
    — cleveland, 20 July 2023
  • And very few incentives exist to keep stations in working order.
    — John Voelcker, Car and Driver, 27 May 2023
  • Start the vehicle and pay attention to smoke, odd smells, or vibrations, and to make sure everything is in good working order.
    — Jim Gorzelany, Forbes, 21 Apr. 2023
  • Per the police incident report, both the property's and the neighbor's cameras were not in working order on the morning of the incident.
    — Becca Longmire, Peoplemag, 15 Feb. 2024
  • Together, these tricks will help keep your favorite shoes intact and your washer in working order.
    — Christopher Friedmann, Travel + Leisure, 5 Apr. 2023
  • Their stroke of brilliance comes in profiling the handful of specialists who keep the instruments in working order.
    — Peter Debruge, Variety, 10 Mar. 2024
  • Another challenge was keeping his bike in working order when parts were in high demand.
    — New York Times, 13 Dec. 2020
  • This damage might require extensive repairs or restorations to get the car in working order.
    — Elizabeth Rivelli, Car and Driver, 15 Dec. 2022
  • After that came going through each online system to see what had been changed and making sure everything else was in working order.
    — Stacy Ryburn, Arkansas Online, 9 June 2023
  • Everything was in working order, and the layout largely suited her.
    — Ian Phillips, ELLE Decor, 15 Aug. 2023
  • Parks doesn’t often cook, but the original stove, double ovens, warming plate and warming drawers are in working order.
    — Andrea Darr, Kansas City Star, 30 Jan. 2024
  • The woman miraculously managed to keep her car in working order.
    — Olena Stiazhkina, CNN, 26 Apr. 2022
  • Only three of the spacecraft's six gyroscopes remain in working order.
    — Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 29 Sep. 2022
  • Martin likes the idea that one day the airless concept could make having a basketball—and keeping it in working order—more accessible to more kids.
    — Tim Newcomb, Forbes, 18 Feb. 2023
  • In its final appearance, the team’s robot, Floppy Disk, won out over a field of 18 other robots, once again claiming the title thanks to the efforts of the team members who kept it in working order.
    — Ed Wittenberg, cleveland, 14 Oct. 2022
  • Mattresses may have bed bugs, and electrical appliances may not be in good working order.
    — Maggie Scales, BostonGlobe.com, 31 Aug. 2023
  • While this inquiry has only just begun, in the meantime if you’re hit with a late night craving, make sure to check out the ‘McBroken’ map to see if your local McDonald’s ice cream machine is in working order.
    — Rayna Reid, Essence, 3 Sep. 2021

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'in (good) working order.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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