BEEFED (UP) Synonyms: 80 Similar and Opposite Words

beefed (up)

verb

past tense of beef (up)

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

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

Nashville strengthened its push for the Supporters’ Shield and extended its lead to 5 points over Inter Miami on a night Lionel Messi again failed to convert a penalty.

— Dean Jones, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
California in 2015 enacted a law that strengthened vaccine requirements for schoolchildren.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of strengthened

Verb

In 2025, after a joint appearance with Prince William at London’s COP30 climate summit, that concern intensified.

— Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 15 Aug. 2026
As the Taliban have intensified their repression, women have found new ways to continue nonviolent resistance.

— Rina Amiri, Foreign Affairs, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of intensified

Verb

Notably, Shaun has been hardened and disenfranchised by the bureaucracy of law enforcement.

— Keith Langston, PEOPLE, 12 Aug. 2026
And as Netanyahu’s coalitions hardened Schleien’s programs became edgier, skewering Netanyahu sycophants in the Likud Party, anti-élitist demagogues, cultic settlers, and rabbinic mandarins.

— Bernard Avishai, New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of hardened

Verb

Deadly attacks on vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Oman heightened concerns over risks to global shipping routes and sent global oil prices higher to around $90 per barrel on Wednesday.

— Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 12 Aug. 2026
The risks are heightened for women of color, according to the most recent maternal mortality data from the March of Dimes and the CDC.

— Kristin Wright, NPR, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of heightened

Verb

At West Ham, Fernandes enhanced his reputation as a player who can not only drive his team forward but also play a key role out of possession, defending on the front foot.

— Cerys Jones, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
Vuong’s photographs are displayed rather conventionally on the gallery walls, but the viewing experience is enhanced by images of his that have been printed on cloth banners that hang in the center of the space.

— Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of enhanced

Verb

China, which appointed an ambassador to the Taliban government in December 2023, has deepened its economic ties, with Chinese companies becoming major players in Afghan oil, copper and lithium extraction.

— Kara Fox, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2026
Students and families said the shift has been especially severe in parts of the south, including Helmand and Kandahar, where families already placed a stronger emphasis on religious studies and Taliban rule has deepened that pressure.

— Fatima Faizi, NPR, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of deepened

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.

Browse Nearby Words

beefed

beefed (up)

beefing

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Beefed (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/beefed%20%28up%29. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of beefed (up)

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

rigmarole

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes