beef up

verb

beefed up; beefing up; beefs up
Synonyms of beef upnext
informal
: to add weight, strength, or power to (something)
Security around the city will be beefed up during the event.
a politician looking to beef his image up

Examples of beef up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The Ministry of Health has deployed technical staff to help beef up surveillance in these centers, says Gocotano, the WHO official. Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 4 Sep. 2026 Veteran tackles Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen beef up a defense that ranked last in rushing yards allowed, while Super Bowl winner Boye Mafe brings explosiveness off the edge. Takashi Williams, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026 The pilot is intended to beef up the number of technologies available for the Medicare ACCESS model, an experiment in paying for technology to help beneficiaries manage chronic conditions. Mario Aguilar, STAT, 3 Sep. 2026 Marchese hire reflects the company’s push to beef up its creator business. William Earl, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for beef up

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Beef up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beef%20up. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster