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
-
One of the ways that the public safety transition committee recommended addressing those root causes was by putting in place a general basic income program, through which low-income residents would get $500 per month.—
R. Christian Smith,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Feb. 2026
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According to Sara Nibler, a recruiter at Redballoon who places candidates in roles ranging from manufacturing to media, job seekers are increasingly confusing the convenience of Zoom with an excuse to abandon basic professional etiquette.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
22 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Vett was identified by the Marin Independent Journal as a mother of two elementary-school-age children in Marin County.—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Feb. 2026
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Neighbors told the Dayton Daily News the Flynns had two elementary-age daughters who often played outside with the family's two goldendoodles.—
Bailey Gallion,
USA Today,
20 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
-
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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Despite these positive signals, the housing market still faces significant challenges, some analysts said, pointing to a fundamental shortage of housing supply.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
18 Feb. 2026
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Their petition asks the court to review the EPA's recent rollback of fundamental steps taken by United States leaders to curb fossil fuel pollution for most of the last two decades.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Meat-and-potatoes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/meat-and-potatoes. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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