as in basic
of or relating to the simplest facts or theories of a subject
a meat-and-potatoes knowledge of figure skating is all that a spectator really needs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in root
the central part or aspect of something under consideration
an article that never gets into the meat and potatoes of a solution to the city's rising crime rate
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of meat-and-potatoes
Ethan Beck, Pitchfork, 27 Mar. 2026
Wahlberg was a 20-something bad boy who took a more meat-and-potatoes (or Peter Berg and Peter Berg) route to popular success.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026
Josh Miller, Southern Living, 7 Nov. 2025
That’s meat and potatoes y’all.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for meat-and-potatoes
Adjective
When working in that vein, Barnett’s journeys through self-doubt are well-matched with the stomping, meat-and-potatoes indie-rock production that Burke Reid and Dan Luscombe brought to her first two albums.
—Ethan Beck, Pitchfork, 27 Mar. 2026
Wahlberg was a 20-something bad boy who took a more meat-and-potatoes (or Peter Berg and Peter Berg) route to popular success.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026
Plural noun
Save as a collection on MyRecipes To some, the definition of a comforting dinner is meat and potatoes.
—Josh Miller, Southern Living, 7 Nov. 2025
That’s meat and potatoes y’all.
—Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for meat-and-potatoes
Recent Examples of Synonyms for meat-and-potatoes
Adjective
-
When asked for basic tips on booking a flight, Potter had two answers.—
Ross Raihala,
Twin Cities,
31 May 2026
-
Users just need to tap the screen to monitor connection status in real time, switch VPN profiles, share Wi-Fi via a QR code and complete basic network configuration tasks.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Adjective
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Perez’s elementary-school-age daughter somehow survived the natural gas explosion at The Clyde apartments with only minor scratches, acording to Carmona.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 May 2026
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One study found that AI chatbots were shown to help elementary-aged children learn English.—
Noelle Harff,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 May 2026
Adjective
-
The California Democrat was so unfamiliar to the incoming president that Biden badly mispronounced his name at an introductory news conference.—
Dan Diamond,
Washington Post,
31 May 2026
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Locke’s children’s book is an introductory lesson about gender-inclusive pronouns.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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Together, the findings in chimpanzees and bonobos suggest a rudimentary form of syntax, the rules that govern word order in human language and give it flexibility and creativity.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
3 June 2026
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But those tells generally show up only in Claude’s most rudimentary outputs.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
2 June 2026
Adjective
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His concept of the collective unconscious, a universal element of the human mind connecting past and present, was fundamental to her understanding of images and the interconnected nature of ancient archetypes.—
Eliza Goodpasture,
ARTnews.com,
3 June 2026
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The appointment arrives just ahead of the United Nations' International Day of Play on June 11, which highlights the importance of play as a fundamental right for children.—
Brittany Talarico,
PEOPLE,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Meat-and-potatoes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/meat-and-potatoes. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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