beef up
phrasal verb
beefed up; beefing up; beefs up
informal
: to add weight, strength, or power to (something)
Security around the city will be beefed up during the event.
a politician looking to beef his image up
Examples of beef up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In the new league format, picking up ‘easier’ points and beefing up goal difference before tougher ties with Barcelona and Wolfsburg is crucial.
—
Cerys Jones, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Beyond actual material and structural improvements, Heimplanet beefs up the Mavericks Blue Ice package with new components and accessories.
—New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2025
In the face of declining new student enrollment, Duval said the university should instead focus on beefing up its endowment and attracting undergraduates.
—Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 9 Oct. 2025
By the mid-50s, Chrysler beefed up the 331 cubic inch engines into 392 cubic inch V-8s, stuffing them beneath the hoods of New Yorkers and Imperials.
—Liam Rappleye, USA Today, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for beef up
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cerys Jones, New York Times, 16 Oct. 2025
Beyond actual material and structural improvements, Heimplanet beefs up the Mavericks Blue Ice package with new components and accessories.
—New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2025
In the face of declining new student enrollment, Duval said the university should instead focus on beefing up its endowment and attracting undergraduates.
—Rebecca Noel, Charlotte Observer, 9 Oct. 2025
By the mid-50s, Chrysler beefed up the 331 cubic inch engines into 392 cubic inch V-8s, stuffing them beneath the hoods of New Yorkers and Imperials.
—Liam Rappleye, USA Today, 6 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for beef up
Cite this Entry
“Beef up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beef%20up. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share