1
as in strengthened
to increase the ability of (as a muscle) to exert physical force
beefed up the walls with iron bars
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in intensified
to make markedly greater in measure or degree
will beef up security for the next few days while the president is in town
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beefed (up)
Verb
-
Right-hander Roki Sasaki strengthened his case Saturday with a quality start, despite some hiccups, as the Dodgers fell 3-2 to the Cardinals, extending their losing streak to four games.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
3 May 2026 -
Amtrak is considering allowing people to store guns in lockboxes on most of its trains, which critics say would weaken security measures that instead should be strengthened in light of the shooting at last weekend's White House Correspondents' Association dinner.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
In the ’90s, the blockbuster sales of two flea-and-tick medications, Frontline and Advantage, demonstrated untapped demand, and then intensified that demand by enabling new levels of indoor intimacy between dogs and people.—
Ross Andersen,
The Atlantic,
2 May 2026
-
Fear of breaking the law has intensified The reverberations of Florida’s six-week ban have been felt in doctors’ offices and emergency departments across the state.—
Cindy Krischer Goodman,
Sun Sentinel,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
They are hardened against the effects of a nuclear blast and include a range of security features, such as anti-missile countermeasures and an onboard operating room.—
Jonathan J. Cooper,
Fortune,
2 May 2026
-
Emery prefers his players to be battle-hardened and to be involved in matches, rather than just training.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Around Mira and her friends, my own insecurities were heightened.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
And the rapid spread in recent years has heightened security concerns across the country, particularly in the capital, where sensitive military and political sites are concentrated.—
Todd Symons,
CNN Money,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
The artworks are enhanced with portraits of the artists and brief statements about their art.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
1 May 2026
-
Bike activists in this city have, to our minds, successfully enhanced the lot of cyclists in Chicago and are fully entitled to keep pushing for more reasonable improvements.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
For Kennedy, being part of the series has only deepened her confidence.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
26 Apr. 2026
-
His work deepened and developed under the responsiveness of the academy and a larger and not-yet-balkanized reading public.—
Nick Laird,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Beefed (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beefed%20%28up%29. Accessed 4 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
