make a meal (out) of

idiom

1
: to eat (a particular food) as a meal without anything else
This bread is so good, I could make a meal of it.
2
British, informal : to do (something) in a way that makes it seem more important or difficult than it really is
It's not all that hard, you know! Don't make a meal of it!

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Could some cicadas have be carrying a disease or parasite that was infecting the birds unlucky enough to make a meal of them? Brianna Barbu, Discover Magazine, 26 July 2021 Portis could initiate more hand-off actions, call his own number, or seek smaller opponents to make a meal of in the post. Morten Stig Jensen, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2022 Keaton and Bowen make a meal of their pleasurably silly good cop/bad cop routine. K. Austin Collins, Rolling Stone, 25 Dec. 2022 As in the Stevie Nicks-Tom Petty song, someone’s always about to make a meal of some bright-eyed kid. New York Times, 13 June 2022 When an infected waterbird dies, a raptor may make a meal of it and become infected in the process. Anne Readel, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 May 2022 The open country is prime hunting ground for hawks that wait atop saguaros, ready to make a meal of any reptile, small mammal or bird that shows itself. Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 30 Dec. 2021 Regulars often make a meal of two orders of that alone. BostonGlobe.com, 27 Apr. 2021 In its traditional form, the patty is made with a shortcrust-style pastry and filled with spiced beef, ackee or other savory ingredients; often, people make a meal of it by stuffing it into a piece of soft and buttery coco bread. Soleil Ho, San Francisco Chronicle, 25 Feb. 2021 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'make a meal (out) of.' 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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Cite this Entry

“Make a meal (out) of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/make%20a%20meal%20%28out%29%20of. Accessed 8 Jun. 2023.

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