beefs (up)

verb

present tense third-person singular of beef (up)
1
as in strengthens
to increase the ability of (as a muscle) to exert physical force beefed up the walls with iron bars

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for beefs (up)
  1. strengthens
  2. intensifies
  3. hardens
  4. enhances
  5. heightens
  6. deepens
Verb
  • Rain looks to arrive through midday Thursday, becoming steadier Thursday night as the coastal storm strengthens.
    — Grant Gilmore, CBS News, 10 Nov. 2026
  • This deal strengthens the company's position in the fast-growing ready-to-drink (RTD) category.
    — Jeff Marks, CNBC, 9 Nov. 2026
Definition of strengthens
Verb
  • The nonbinding vote comes as Washington intensifies pressure on Cuba, whose fuel shortages have fueled power outages disrupting cooking, water service and communications.
    — Farnoush Amiri, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Trump’s influence over Republican voters intensifies these incentives.
    — Stephanie A, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of intensifies
Verb
  • The gossip hardens into something more official, as fellow teachers and school authorities start to treat her personal life as a disciplinary matter.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Europe hardens on migration as nationalist support grows European countries sought to harden migration rules in a bid to quell support for nationalist parties across the continent.
    — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of hardens
Verb
  • The trailhead enhances access to popular bouldering and climbing areas, and provides five new creek access points, the agency said in a statement.
    — Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 11 Nov. 2026
  • Streaming those Christmas classics, or even performing in a high school production of those musicals, enhances the Brit’s wealth.
    — Charlotte Reck, CNN Money, 10 Nov. 2026
Definition of enhances
Verb
  • The unflinching depiction of the human toll of the kaiju carnage heightens the stakes, but it’s used to address larger themes as well.
    — James Grebey, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Heggessey called into question a number of the procedures, including that the premise of the show — to match contributors with long-term partners — heightens tension and conflict, with intimacy being a key focus.
    — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of heightens
Verb
  • The answer remains unclear as the antipathy between Marnûkh and Arondir deepens.
    — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 11 Nov. 2026
  • Twisted Teens’ most compelling quality might be the fact that their obvious reverence for rock’n’roll history still leaves plenty of room for mystery, and the intrigue deepens on The Holy Cross Tigers, the group’s third full-length of 2026.
    — Stuart Berman, Pitchfork, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of deepens
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Beefs (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beefs%20%28up%29. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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