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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show current usage.
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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
-
Crown Princess Amalia, the heir to the Dutch throne, completed her basic military training last month as a volunteer reservist in the army.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Feb. 2026
-
College faculty are then forced to spend instructional time reteaching basic math and writing, which detracts from the advanced material a college course is meant to deliver.—
Andrea Mays,
Oc Register,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The House Common Education Committee unanimously passed House Bill 4358 that would allow no more than one hour of screen time each school day for elementary students.—
Nuria Martinez-Keel,
Oklahoma Voice,
12 Feb. 2026
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Yazmin Ramirez brought her three children, who are in elementary or middle school, with no sewing experience to the class.—
Steve Sadin,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Register now and use coupon code EARLYBIRD for an introductory discount of 20% off.—
Lizzie Assa,
CNBC,
10 Feb. 2026
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Three of her friends joined her introductory lesson on a recent Friday evening, along with this reporter.—
Kate Bradshaw,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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First signs of rudimentary Valentine notes began appearing much later, in the 1500s, according to Britannica.—
Kate Perez,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The first is risk detection, which can be solved with more rudimentary machine learning.—
Leo Schwartz,
Fortune,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
This, too, is a fundamental sociological insight.—
Wendy Nelson Espeland,
Mercury News,
11 Feb. 2026
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But Marcus noted that utility regulation is under state and local authorities, meaning White House action is limited to rhetorical headline risk rather than a fundamental shift in policy.—
Davis Giangiulio,
CNBC,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Meat-and-potatoes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/meat-and-potatoes. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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