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
Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 4 June 2025
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
Scot McCloughan is a meat-and-potatoes kind of scout.
—Matt Barrows, New York Times, 1 May 2025
The first is a new coach in Craig Berube, who has his team playing a meat-and-potatoes style that will supposedly fit well in a playoff setting.
—Nick Ashbourne, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
Still, neither brings the kind of meat-and-potatoes hockey that Tanev does.
—Joshua Kloke, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025
Miller fits the meat-and-potatoes vibe that the Rangers seem to be going for, and has shown a superstar ceiling in the past.
—Corey Pronman, The Athletic, 1 Feb. 2025
Voss, meanwhile, was finding that some of the foreign markets for action movies were collapsing, shrinking the budgets of his meat-and-potatoes genre fare.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 17 Jan. 2025
Adjective
But there’s a case to be made that Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’s family drama Purpose, which has picked up steam after a Pulitzer win, is more meat-and-potatoes Tony fare.
—Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 4 June 2025
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
Scot McCloughan is a meat-and-potatoes kind of scout.
—Matt Barrows, New York Times, 1 May 2025
The first is a new coach in Craig Berube, who has his team playing a meat-and-potatoes style that will supposedly fit well in a playoff setting.
—Nick Ashbourne, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
Still, neither brings the kind of meat-and-potatoes hockey that Tanev does.
—Joshua Kloke, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025
Miller fits the meat-and-potatoes vibe that the Rangers seem to be going for, and has shown a superstar ceiling in the past.
—Corey Pronman, The Athletic, 1 Feb. 2025
Voss, meanwhile, was finding that some of the foreign markets for action movies were collapsing, shrinking the budgets of his meat-and-potatoes genre fare.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 17 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for meat-and-potatoes
Adjective
-
Biomedical repositories and basic researchers can be doing more, collaborating more.—
David A. Brenner,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 June 2025
-
The highest basic monthly payment is $4,544.23, available to veterans with a 100 percent rating, a spouse, one child, and two dependent parents.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 June 2025
Adjective
-
What To Know The growing resistance to phones on school grounds has been burgeoning since Florida enacted statewide changes in elementary and middle schools in 2023.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 June 2025
-
Queen, an elementary schooler at the time, preferred to play at Goldilocks, another neighborhood court five blocks away.—
Sam Cohn,
Baltimore Sun,
25 June 2025
Adjective
-
Quickly becoming a fan favorite for the Angels faithful, Moore capped his introductory homestand with another clutch at-bat — in a week that started with a bang thanks to his two home run spectacle Tuesday against the Red Sox.—
Benjamin Royer,
Los Angeles Times,
29 June 2025
-
In the introductory remarks, patrons were urged to keep as quiet as possible in order to experience the possibilities of hearing overlapping ensembles.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
29 June 2025
Adjective
-
Unlike the predictable drawers that pull out, this style slides out to the side, so pulling out paper clips feels more like an event than a rudimentary task.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
30 June 2025
-
Rather than simply responding to instructions, the systems demonstrated initiative, persistence, and a rudimentary capacity for self-preservation.—
Hamilton Mann,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2025
Adjective
-
Yet many overlook one of the most fundamental levers available to their leadership and performance: their circadian rhythm.—
Julian Hayes II,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
-
At a time when our nation faces many urgent challenges, tackling food insecurity stands apart as both fundamental and unifying.—
Carmen Del Guercio,
Baltimore Sun,
22 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Meat-and-potatoes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/meat-and-potatoes. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.
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