beefed (up)

verb

past tense of beef (up)
1
as in strengthened
to increase the ability of (as a muscle) to exert physical force beefed up the walls with iron bars

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in intensified
to make markedly greater in measure or degree will beef up security for the next few days while the president is in town

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for beefed (up)
  1. strengthened
  2. intensified
  3. hardened
  4. heightened
  5. enhanced
  6. deepened
Verb
  • His football endurance might still be coming along; his football instincts might still be creeping back; his contact-balance is still a skill that needs to be strengthened after years of atrophy.
    — Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Presuming there is a feeling of letting Iraola assess the squad during the first season to earmark potential positions that need to be strengthened.
    — James Pearce, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of strengthened
Verb
  • That momentum intensified into 2026 before reversing sharply in recent weeks, leaving the four stocks roughly 20% to 40% below their late-June peaks.
    — Alexa LoMonaco, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The competition has intensified over the past year as Netflix has stepped up its pursuit of YouTube’s most popular channels.
    — Lucas Shaw, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of intensified
Verb
  • Notably, Shaun has been hardened and disenfranchised by the bureaucracy of law enforcement.
    — Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 12 Aug. 2026
  • And as Netanyahu’s coalitions hardened Schleien’s programs became edgier, skewering Netanyahu sycophants in the Likud Party, anti-élitist demagogues, cultic settlers, and rabbinic mandarins.
    — Bernard Avishai, New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of hardened
Verb
  • The plan is for vertical series that have heightened genre concepts and richer world building, while sticking to the snappy, emotionally intense and hook-led style of many current microdramas.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 20 Aug. 2026
  • At this moment, the kids from the childcare program are released into the sanctuary, their excitement at seeing their parents and hearing the shofar only heightened by whatever has made all of their mouths blue.
    — Risa Polansky Shiman, Sun Sentinel, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of heightened
Verb
  • At West Ham, Fernandes enhanced his reputation as a player who can not only drive his team forward but also play a key role out of possession, defending on the front foot.
    — Cerys Jones, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Vuong’s photographs are displayed rather conventionally on the gallery walls, but the viewing experience is enhanced by images of his that have been printed on cloth banners that hang in the center of the space.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of enhanced
Verb
  • China, which appointed an ambassador to the Taliban government in December 2023, has deepened its economic ties, with Chinese companies becoming major players in Afghan oil, copper and lithium extraction.
    — Kara Fox, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Students and families said the shift has been especially severe in parts of the south, including Helmand and Kandahar, where families already placed a stronger emphasis on religious studies and Taliban rule has deepened that pressure.
    — Fatima Faizi, NPR, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of deepened
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.

Browse Nearby Words

beefed
beefed (up)
beefing
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Cite this Entry

“Beefed (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beefed%20%28up%29. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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