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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Recent Examples of meat-and-potatoes
Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 17 Feb. 2026
Was Nansi simply a meat-and-potatoes, fourth-line player?
—Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 13 Nov. 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
Amaya Battle is a meat-and-potatoes basketball player.
—Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 17 Feb. 2026
Was Nansi simply a meat-and-potatoes, fourth-line player?
—Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 13 Nov. 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
-
Island-wide blackouts have roiled Cubans already grappling with years of crisis, and lack of gasoline and basic resources has crippled hospitals and slashed public transport.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Island-wide blackouts have roiled Cubans already grappling with years of crisis, and lack of gasoline and basic resources has crippled hospital and slashed public transport.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Bakri is responsible for many soul-shattering moments in Cherien Dabis’s exemplary multigenerational epic All That’s Left of You (now on digital), and the first takes place after an elementary-school lesson.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Students in elementary grades would be taught not to touch a found firearm, to leave the area and to tell an adult.—
Nuria Martinez-Keel,
Oklahoma Voice,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Those moves were widely expected, as Geren was already referred to as the board’s president at an introductory news conference for new Superintendent Peter Licata on March 24.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 Apr. 2026
-
This introductory offer allows new players to simply sign up and play a $5 lineup to get the reward, providing an immediate boost to your starting bankroll.—
Tyler Everett,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
By the late 1950s, Houdry had invented a rudimentary catalytic converter.—
Ann E. Carlson,
The Conversation,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The crash occurred at Tempe in northern Greece after a passenger train was placed on the wrong track, into the path of an oncoming freight train — an astonishing lapse on a rudimentary rail network.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
In this regard, a fundamental reorientation toward grassroots and community-based partnerships is critical, building institutional capacity from the ground up rather than top-down.—
Smooth Nzewi,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
-
This key milestone, overseen by the UK’s Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), the Environment Agency, and Natural Resources Wales, provides formal validation that there are no fundamental safety, security, or safeguards flaws in the SMR-300 design.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Meat-and-potatoes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/meat-and-potatoes. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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