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
Leslie Kelly, Forbes.com, 5 Sep. 2025
The streaming era has prioritized breaking from, or at least playing around with, TV norms, but these kinds of meat-and-potatoes offerings can be as satisfying as shows with wilder ambitions.
—Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 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
These preparations go beyond the meat-and-potatoes approach, bringing a worldview to the table in memorable ways.
—Leslie Kelly, Forbes.com, 5 Sep. 2025
The streaming era has prioritized breaking from, or at least playing around with, TV norms, but these kinds of meat-and-potatoes offerings can be as satisfying as shows with wilder ambitions.
—Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 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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Second, our basic law includes some rights--like the right to bear arms--phrased more strongly than the federal constitution.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Feb. 2026
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Vast's 2027 mission will follow that same basic pattern, according to NASA.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The House Common Education Committee unanimously passed House Bill 4358 that would allow no more than one hour of screen time each school day for elementary students.—
Nuria Martinez-Keel,
Oklahoma Voice,
12 Feb. 2026
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Yazmin Ramirez brought her three children, who are in elementary or middle school, with no sewing experience to the class.—
Steve Sadin,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Register now and use coupon code EARLYBIRD for an introductory discount of 20% off.—
Sarah Jackson,
CNBC,
17 Feb. 2026
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But until Brady finally — mercifully — took time during his introductory news conference to praise McDermott, the organization seemed to go out of its way to snub the coach who set its win percentage record.—
Tim Graham,
New York Times,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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First signs of rudimentary Valentine notes began appearing much later, in the 1500s, according to Britannica.—
Kate Perez,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
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The first is risk detection, which can be solved with more rudimentary machine learning.—
Leo Schwartz,
Fortune,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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This, too, is a fundamental sociological insight.—
Wendy Nelson Espeland,
Mercury News,
11 Feb. 2026
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But Marcus noted that utility regulation is under state and local authorities, meaning White House action is limited to rhetorical headline risk rather than a fundamental shift in policy.—
Davis Giangiulio,
CNBC,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Meat-and-potatoes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/meat-and-potatoes. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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