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
Ben Croll, IndieWire, 13 May 2025
The only cooking required is the hands-off step of simmering the farro, and the combination of flavors and textures will likely win over even the most meat-and-potatoes of diners.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 May 2025
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
Before long, former Top Chef champ Cécile is back slinging meat-and-potatoes at her parents’ roadside truck stop and rekindling old flames with her country-boy ex, Raphaël (Bastien Bouillon).
—Ben Croll, IndieWire, 13 May 2025
The only cooking required is the hands-off step of simmering the farro, and the combination of flavors and textures will likely win over even the most meat-and-potatoes of diners.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 May 2025
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
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At that point, the operator would recite the most intimate details of a patient’s health history to hook her before launching into a few basic screening questions.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
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Ross argued that allowing local police to provide basic crowd control — rather than restricting coordination — could have reduced risks during recent confrontations.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
In elementary education, many students have suffered from unscientific reading strategies.—
Ryan Craig,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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The trading cards were first developed in Japan in 1996 and had early international success as a lunch-hour activity for elementary-school kids.—
Clio Chang,
Curbed,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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During an introductory press conference with the Steelers that got emotional at times, McCarthy, a Pittsburgh native, beamed with pride about his third head coaching opportunity.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
28 Jan. 2026
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Kevin Stefanski walked into his introductory news conference Tuesday smiling, joking about the weather, and sounding exactly like a coach ready to get to work.—
Christopher Harris,
CBS News,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Freelancers can handle seed stage business needs such as the establishment of a rudimentary brand with a logo, tagline and color palette, followed by the creation of a basic website.—
Eric Youngstrom,
Forbes.com,
20 Jan. 2026
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Nothing about the way these cartels operate is rudimentary.—
Kevin Maurer,
Rolling Stone,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The pressing question isn’t solely about Riot’s stock price surge—but rather, what fundamental and strategic changes are driving this momentum, and where the stock might be headed in the future.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
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These actions represent a blatant and systematic violation of all fundamental human rights, including the right to life, liberty, human dignity, and security, and constitute a clear case of crimes against humanity.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
21 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Meat-and-potatoes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/meat-and-potatoes. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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