beef 1 of 2

noun

ˈbēf How to pronounce beef (audio)
Definition of beefnext
1
as in whine
an expression of dissatisfaction, pain, or resentment had to deal with an angry customer with a beef about our service

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in muscle
muscular strength a heavyweight wrestler with a good deal of beef

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

beef

2 of 2

verb

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

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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
Noun
Why beef tallow matters right now The payoff, according to the chains and the food writers covering them, is crispier fries, richer flavor and, for a growing segment of customers, a cooking fat that fits the current anti-seed-oil mood. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 19 Oct. 2026 Lunch is best enjoyed at the beach bar (the standout dish here was the beef carpaccio). — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Oct. 2026
Verb
Hours after the final bout, he’s scheduled to jet off to the G7 summit in the French Alps for talks with several world leaders he’s been beefing with over war and tariffs. — Aamer Madhani, Fortune, 12 June 2026 Injuries would be a concern, but this is a beefing-up-the-squad signing. — Tim Spiers, New York Times, 26 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for beef
Recent Examples of Synonyms for beef
  1. whine
  2. muscle
  3. complain
  4. complaint
  5. power
  6. scream
  7. grievance
  8. fuss
Noun
  • Our Chesapeake Bay Retriever dog saw them too and enthusiastically let out a small whine.
    — Kody Lostroh, Denver Post, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The mystic whine of Christine Ott and Mathieu Gabry’s score carries us into a hidden world of ancient Thai deities living inside the mountain’s caves and tunnels.
    — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of whine
Noun
  • The intention of peptide users is to have the muscle-building effects of anabolic steroids without the side effects of infertility, oily skin, acne, liver inflammation, and so on.
    — Gavin Francis, The New York Review of Books, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Hip dysplasia and muscle atrophy can also prevent animals from completing training.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of muscle
Verb
  • That March, a seventy-year-old patient from a wealthy Cypriot family, Evie Lanitis, arrived at BioMed, complaining of a host of minor maladies, including bursitis in her toes, dental pain, and digestive issues.
    — D. T. Max, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
  • In the days before the spill was announced, residents complained of fuel-like odors pervading areas of Dubai and north.
    — Kelsey Warner, semafor.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of complain
Noun
  • Davis’s letter follows a separate ethics complaint filed by a conservative watchdog group to the Senate Select Committee on Ethics over Slotkin’s University of Chicago remarks, first reported by the Washington Examiner on Tuesday.
    — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 22 Oct. 2026
  • According to the complaint, an internal review found that just five brokers controlled 6,345 Ticketmaster accounts holding 246,407 tickets.
    — James LaForge, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of complaint
Noun
  • Ukrainians are bracing for the bitterly cold months ahead as the recent escalation in Russian attacks targets the power grid to deny civilians heat, light and running water.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Simply put, to stay economically competitive, America needs computing power that matches or beats its adversaries’.
    — Neil Chatterjee, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of power
Verb
  • A little girl pounding her fists and screaming; none of the visitors nor the staff were allowed to hold her to provide comfort.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Rays third baseman Junior Caminero screamed in the dugout after Milwaukee had rallied to tie the game.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of scream
Noun
  • The nationwide marches were meant to reflect broader dissatisfaction with the French government, with protesters taking to the streets to air a range of different grievances.
    — James Cirrone , Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Ontide management reported that worker turnover attributable to harassment and unresolved grievances had declined substantially; however, the report did not provide figures to quantify that change.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of grievance
Noun
  • The results are often compared to pricier dedicated mirrorless digital cameras, delivered without the fuss of tweaking exposure or heavy post-processing.
    — Brad Bourque, The Verge, 20 Oct. 2026
  • With the film opening in theaters across the US on Friday, audiences now have their turn to see what all the fuss is about.
    — David Mack, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of fuss

Phrases Containing beef

Browse Nearby Words

bee's knees
beef
beefcake
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Cite this Entry

“Beef.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beef. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on beef

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about beef

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