1
as in whine
an expression of dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment
had to deal with an angry customer with a beef about our service
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in muscle
muscular strength
a heavyweight wrestler with a good deal of beef
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to complain
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
he tends to stand around and beef for hours about any slight, real or imagined
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of beef
Joe Hernandez, NPR, 29 May 2026
Pitmaster Tyler Harp cited staffing shortages, fewer customers and rising beef prices for the closure of the restaurant, which opened in Overland Park in November 2024 after relocating from Raytown.
—Ian Cummings, Kansas City Star, 28 May 2026
Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026
Try it as a side dish to rice, mixed into a salad dressing to beef it up, or as a marinade.
—Jahnavi Rapaka, Vogue, 21 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for beef
Noun
Jason Cleere, a professor and extension beef cattle specialist at Texas A&M University, said the higher retail prices that beef shoppers see at the grocery store reflect the harsh financial reality facing farmers and ranchers.
—Joe Hernandez, NPR, 29 May 2026
Pitmaster Tyler Harp cited staffing shortages, fewer customers and rising beef prices for the closure of the restaurant, which opened in Overland Park in November 2024 after relocating from Raytown.
—Ian Cummings, Kansas City Star, 28 May 2026
Verb
Spooky critters have beef with Taylor Momsen.
—Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026
Try it as a side dish to rice, mixed into a salad dressing to beef it up, or as a marinade.
—Jahnavi Rapaka, Vogue, 21 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for beef
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beef
Noun
-
Lee's voice has always been Sui generis, a distinctive instrument caught between a whine and a yelp yet immediately recognizable.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
8 June 2026
-
The guilt of a stack of unread books is a low constant whine at the back of your head.—
Philip Maymin,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2026
Noun
-
The same goes for people with a condition called gastroparesis, which affects stomach nerves and muscles, and those susceptible to medullary thyroid cancer.—
Maia Rosenfeld,
NBC news,
29 May 2026
-
Weight loss on its own can change muscle, bone and more.—
Bethany Brookshire,
Scientific American,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
The move was met with outrage, with fans criticizing the singer for jumping the gun and complaining that the weather had cleared up before becoming too serious.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 June 2026
-
Leo is expected to meet survivors while in Spain, but several victims groups have complained that they have been left in the dark about when the meeting is taking place and whether they are invited.—
Nicole Winfield,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2026
Noun
-
No complaints about the strong, free Wi-Fi.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
And the White House has required VA officials and advocates to sign NDAs about construction on campus, drawing bipartisan complaints from Congress.—
Quil Lawrence,
NPR,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
Federal officials this year sent water from the upstream Flaming Gorge Reservoir to Lake Powell to stave off an emergency where water levels in the lower reservoir fall so low that water no longer flows through the dam’s power turbines — the only safe way to release water for extended periods.—
Elise Schmelzer,
Denver Post,
7 June 2026
-
That still left a lot of the two-time league champion’s star power exposed to be plucked by the four new teams looking to fill rosters.—
Tom Carothers,
Twin Cities,
7 June 2026
Verb
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On the witness stand, the teenager was reportedly combative and flustered by Jackson’s attorney Tom Mesereau, who attempted to poke holes in Gavin’s testimony and allegedly screamed at the boy throughout.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
-
Jay practically embarrassed Mase, then a pop rapper at Bad Boy Records, not by screaming but by sounding amused.—
Jayson Buford,
Rolling Stone,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
If those with the strongest case to make against injustice could refuse the psychic consolations of victimhood, then there is something especially unbecoming in white Americans learning to speak the language of racial grievance.—
Thomas Chatterton Williams,
The Atlantic,
8 June 2026
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Writing this column has truly fed my soul, never mind given me an outlet for all manner of grief and grievances, whining and winnings.—
Inga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
Reviewers say assembly is also quick and easy—a major plus for those who value style without the fuss.—
Kate McGregor,
Architectural Digest,
1 June 2026
-
Once people knew what the fuss was about, however, the crowds swiftly dried up, and most reviews were mixed.—
Isaac Butler,
New Yorker,
30 May 2026
Video
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Cite this Entry
“Beef.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beef. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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