1
as in whine
an expression of dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment
had to deal with an angry customer with a beef about our service
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in muscle
muscular strength
a heavyweight wrestler with a good deal of beef
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to complain
to express dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment usually tiresomely
he tends to stand around and beef for hours about any slight, real or imagined
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of beef
Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026
The menu includes other appetizers from the grill like chorizo, sweetbreads and romanesco and raw bar selections like beef or tuna tartare, octopus carpaccio, hamachi and oysters.
—Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 9 Mar. 2026
Bill Maher and Jimmy Kimmel are beefing.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for beef
Noun
From grocery store shelves to restaurant menus, premium beef labels are popping up everywhere — but these labels don't always mean what shoppers think.
—Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026
The menu includes other appetizers from the grill like chorizo, sweetbreads and romanesco and raw bar selections like beef or tuna tartare, octopus carpaccio, hamachi and oysters.
—Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
Verb
Nader’s character Selene is a Zuma Beach lifeguard constantly beefing with new, grown up Hobie Buchanon, played by Stephen Amell.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 9 Mar. 2026
Bill Maher and Jimmy Kimmel are beefing.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for beef
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beef
Noun
-
Both motors stay at or below 45 dBA even at full power, something that will genuinely surprise anyone used to the whine of current-generation motors.—
Omar Kardoudi
April 10,
New Atlas,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The whine from that straight-cut gearbox alone is painfully loud, say nothing of the wide-open exhaust on the 4.0 L flat-six.—
Tim Stevens,
ArsTechnica,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The physicality ramped up early in the second period when the B’s fourth line flexed their muscle and cracked Lyon.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
-
The AeroPilates Reformer helps tone muscles, improve flexibility and boost cardio health with customizable intensity for full-body workouts.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Elsewhere, Super Mario Galaxy is hardly complaining about coming in second ruling the roost for weeks, since it’s now focused on becoming the first film of the year to join the billion-dollar club after finishing Sunday with a global total of $871 million.—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Commenters who never have been — and never will go — complain about the cost, the influencers, the hype.—
Andrea Domanick,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The fraud scheme netted $20 million from fraudulent loans that Davis and Evins used to buy real estate, jewelry and cars, according to the complaint.—
Ryan Gaydos OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
After Navarro filed a complaint alleging the work had been wrongly kept from her, a Madrid judge, acting with the support of prosecutors, ordered Spain’s Ministry of Culture to take custody of it citing its potential importance to the country’s historical heritage.—
Daniel Cassady,
ARTnews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Stars’ 71 power-play goals ranked first in the NHL in 2025-26, and Johnston’s 27 were the second-most in a single season since the 2004-05 lockout.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
They're driven very much by power, domination, control.—
Brie Stimson,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
One resident wakes up to a hooded stranger preparing to stab her and silently points them to her sleeping husband rather than scream.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2026
-
On the bright side for Smith, he's still getting paid millions to scream into a camera and show up courtside to stir drama.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
These days, revenge literature arrives most often as a sordid memoir or roman à clef in which grievances are recounted, villainy exposed, and relevant facts set forth.—
Charlie Tyson,
The Atlantic,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Tensions have been fraught between the president and the United Kingdom under Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and the list of grievances is long.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Its red, orange and yellow daisy-like blooms keep coming through the hottest months with almost no fuss — a strong choice for gardeners who would rather enjoy their yard than baby it.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Apr. 2026
-
The plants that earn their place in a hot-weather bed are the ones that keep blooming when the thermometer climbs, draw butterflies and hummingbirds without fuss and reward you with the kind of color that makes a morning cup of coffee on the porch feel like a small vacation.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
Video
Words of the Year: 1066
English was never the same after the Norman Conquest
Cite this Entry
“Beef.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beef. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
