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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
  • Asked what fundamentally strengthens creativity, experts keep coming back to lived experience.
    — Amy O’Brien, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The risk that alcohol consumption will recover slowly strengthens the case for diversification.
    — Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of strengthens
Verb
  • The dispute unfolds as Russia intensifies attacks across Ukraine and as Kyiv presses Western allies for more interceptors, while new diplomatic efforts seek to end the war.
    — Derek Gatopoulos, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
  • If the war with Iran intensifies again, foreign executives will be reluctant to even visit Saudi Arabia, let alone invest in it.
    — Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 23 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 aluminum model enhances the tactile experience with the cool sensation of metal rather than plastic.
    — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 21 Oct. 2026
  • This non-precious Ni/Co heterostructure electrode enhances performance and lowers costs in alkaline water electrolysis.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of enhances
Verb
  • That heightens the stakes for chairman Warsh, who has expressed a preference for fewer words at a time when investors may prefer clearer communication.
    — Sarah Min, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Call it transcendental, the character’s deepening sense of luminosity, the way his empathy heightens as his consciousness expands.
    — David L. Ulin, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of heightens
Verb
  • As Carson and Rapp’s search for Henry deepens, Yaga cuts a jagged (though, at this point, well-trod by shows like Hulu’s Furious or even Netflix’s East of Eden) path through themes of wealth, male entitlement, female rage and the purpose of myth.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The split further deepens among male drinkers to 53 percent to 23 percent in favor of beer.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 19 Oct. 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 26 Oct. 2026.

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