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
-
These traces of self-sufficiency only strengthened the couple’s determination to preserve the site’s history.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
8 Feb. 2026 -
Gabe’s path into financial planning took shape through varied experiences that strengthened his understanding of complex systems and real-world decision-making.—
Wyles Daniel,
USA Today,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
That’s somehow intensified by the fact that most of the people mentioned in the files, like Paul Weiss’ now-former chairman Brad Karp, aren’t really accused of anything specific.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
9 Feb. 2026
-
After their first child was born 11 years ago, the imbalance intensified.—
Jelena Kecmanovic,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Although a good portion of this album still sounds like Kurt Vile going through a Sly Stone phase, the kumbaya squishiness of the past few records has hardened into a brisk antagonism.—
Eli Enis,
Pitchfork,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The soft landing has hardened into a mathematical wall.—
Katica Roy,
Fortune,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
And that's a good thing in a country where 129 million people face at least one major chronic illness and heightened risk of premature death, much of it from bad eating habits, said a senior policy adviser in the Obama White House and a private chef for the former first family.—
Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy,
USA Today,
7 Feb. 2026
-
The file dump has heightened scrutiny of Epstein’s global connections with public figures including Britain’s Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor - the younger brother of King Charles - Peter Mandelson, the former UK ambassador to the United States and Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit.—
Reuters 13 hr ago,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
How has being in love enhanced your artistic practice?—
Cierra Black,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
-
This investment ensures smaller class sizes, competitive pay for educators and staff (at least $20/hour), enhanced school safety and robust support for early childhood and higher education.—
Mary Ramsey,
Charlotte Observer,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
As the give-and-take between Goldsworthy and the farmers of Penpont has deepened, the latter have become accustomed to the sight of the artist gathering wood or stones or fallen trees.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Guthrie’s disappearance, which police initially said was a missing person case, was odd from the beginning, and the mystery has only deepened with time.—
Hannah Fry,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 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 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
