beef up
phrasal verb
beefed up; beefing up; beefs up
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
However, the city has beefed up its historic preservation department by adding more staff to enable property owners to get necessary credentials for state and federal grants to help restore their buildings.
—
Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 May 2024
Since the gang insurrection began on Feb. 29, Haitian government officials have demolished about 200 homes around the airport —to keep gangs from using rooftops to fire at planes — and beefed up security around the airport’s perimeter.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 6 May 2024
Based in Atlanta, Desai runs a business that offers junior doctors from around the world a chance to beef up their CVs before applying for coveted residency or fellowship positions at hospitals or physician offices in the United States.
—Byfrederik Joelving, science.org, 3 May 2024
Schools have also beefed up policies requiring academics to disclose foreign funding.
—Kate O'Keeffe, Fortune, 3 May 2024
The axis of resentment — China, Russia and Iran — is on the march, making the world a more dangerous place and possibly necessitating a surge in military spending and a rapid need to beef up our military manufacturing infrastructure.
—David Brooks, The Mercury News, 1 May 2024
In anticipation of a possible ceremony at the palace, Haiti National Police had beefed up security around the Champs de Mars, the public square across from the palace that has become a battlefield in gangs’ attempts to take the palace.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2024
After signing a new treaty with Rwanda to beef up protections for migrants, the government proposed the new legislation declaring Rwanda to be a safe country.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2024
In free agency, the Chargers beefed up their backfield and signed one of the league’s top blocking tight ends as new coach Jim Harbaugh put into motion his promise to make the team more physical.
—Jeff Miller, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2024
Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 May 2024
Since the gang insurrection began on Feb. 29, Haitian government officials have demolished about 200 homes around the airport —to keep gangs from using rooftops to fire at planes — and beefed up security around the airport’s perimeter.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 6 May 2024
Based in Atlanta, Desai runs a business that offers junior doctors from around the world a chance to beef up their CVs before applying for coveted residency or fellowship positions at hospitals or physician offices in the United States.
—Byfrederik Joelving, science.org, 3 May 2024
Schools have also beefed up policies requiring academics to disclose foreign funding.
—Kate O'Keeffe, Fortune, 3 May 2024
The axis of resentment — China, Russia and Iran — is on the march, making the world a more dangerous place and possibly necessitating a surge in military spending and a rapid need to beef up our military manufacturing infrastructure.
—David Brooks, The Mercury News, 1 May 2024
In anticipation of a possible ceremony at the palace, Haiti National Police had beefed up security around the Champs de Mars, the public square across from the palace that has become a battlefield in gangs’ attempts to take the palace.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2024
After signing a new treaty with Rwanda to beef up protections for migrants, the government proposed the new legislation declaring Rwanda to be a safe country.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2024
In free agency, the Chargers beefed up their backfield and signed one of the league’s top blocking tight ends as new coach Jim Harbaugh put into motion his promise to make the team more physical.
—Jeff Miller, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'beef up.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Beef up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beef%20up. Accessed 13 May. 2024.
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