beef 1 of 2

noun

ˈbēf How to pronounce beef (audio)
Definition of beefnext
1
as in whine
an expression of dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment had to deal with an angry customer with a beef about our service

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2
as in muscle
muscular strength a heavyweight wrestler with a good deal of beef

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beef

2 of 2

verb

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

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of beef
Noun
But there was Talarico on election night, sitting in the house of beef patties, Whatachick’n strips, and bacon-and-egg taquitos. — Gabe Hiatt, Bon Appetit Magazine, 4 Nov. 2026 Behind our beef with bots So, what is driving hostility toward robots on the street? — Jennifer Byrne, Popular Science, 4 Nov. 2026
Verb
Hours after the final bout, he’s scheduled to jet off to the G7 summit in the French Alps for talks with several world leaders he’s been beefing with over war and tariffs. — Aamer Madhani, Fortune, 12 June 2026 Injuries would be a concern, but this is a beefing-up-the-squad signing. — Tim Spiers, New York Times, 26 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for beef
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beef
  1. whine
  2. muscle
  3. complain
  4. complaint
  5. power
  6. scream
  7. grievance
  8. fuss
Noun
  • Our Chesapeake Bay Retriever dog saw them too and enthusiastically let out a small whine.
    — Kody Lostroh, Denver Post, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The mystic whine of Christine Ott and Mathieu Gabry’s score carries us into a hidden world of ancient Thai deities living inside the mountain’s caves and tunnels.
    — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of whine
Noun
  • Hosts Atletico Madrid, too, suffered a huge blow recently, with central defender Cristian Romero ruled out due to a muscle strain.
    — Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Chemically destroying the channel in adult mouse osteocytes accelerated signs of aging far beyond the skeleton, affecting the brain, liver, and muscles.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of muscle
Verb
  • Someone else even complained about the self-clean feature ruining their appliance.
    — Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Nov. 2026
  • By July, morale among immigration officers had dipped below its nadir during the Biden Administration, with agents now complaining of being overextended, inundated with novice recruits, and undermined by inflammatory rhetoric from on high.
    — Francisco Cantú, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of complain
Noun
  • Guzman has an April 2009 conviction of driving drunk and causing injury to another person in Sacramento County, according to the complaint.
    — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Concerts at the stadium have been suspended since 2024 following complaints from neighbors about excessive noise.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of complaint
Noun
  • The brokerage said South Korea could emerge as a key market for additional capacity in Asia, with operators that secure power, land and long-term customer contracts better positioned to expand.
    — Jenny Lee, CNBC, 6 Nov. 2026
  • These arrangements form part of Google’s broader effort to secure power for its expanding data center infrastructure while reducing the carbon emissions associated with natural gas generation.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of power
Verb
  • Upon arriving at Bottiglierivega's door, a police sergeant heard screaming and spotted blood nearby.
    — Ana Maria Soler, CBS News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Officers arrived at the scene and found people screaming as a man was lying in the street, suffering from gunshot wounds.
    — Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of scream
Noun
  • Indeed, how this film plays with Japan’s atomic grievances, tapping into a generation’s latent rage and the notion that opportunity is just tragedy that has shed its skin, feels like a culmination of 30-plus years of storytelling with the character.
    — Zachary Lee, IndieWire, 6 Nov. 2026
  • The suspect may have had a financial grievance, and authorities are investigating whether it's tied to the bank, sources told ABC News.
    — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of grievance
Noun
  • After a marathon journey involving three connecting flights to reach Glasgow—and coming off the back of a particularly hectic week that had left me feeling a little under the weather—the lack of fuss was firmly appreciated.
    — Liam Hess, Vogue, 3 Nov. 2026
  • Their clients, like the classic Vegas-chapel clientele, didn’t want the fuss of a giant ceremony or just didn’t have the guests.
    — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of fuss

Phrases Containing beef

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bee's knees
beef
beefcake
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Cite this Entry

“Beef.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beef. Accessed 12 Nov. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on beef

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about beef

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