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
Ben Croll, IndieWire, 13 May 2025
The only cooking required is the hands-off step of simmering the farro, and the combination of flavors and textures will likely win over even the most meat-and-potatoes of diners.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 May 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
Before long, former Top Chef champ Cécile is back slinging meat-and-potatoes at her parents’ roadside truck stop and rekindling old flames with her country-boy ex, Raphaël (Bastien Bouillon).
—Plural noun
Save as a collection on MyRecipes To some, the definition of a comforting dinner is meat and potatoes.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for meat-and-potatoes
Adjective
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At that point, the operator would recite the most intimate details of a patient’s health history to hook her before launching into a few basic screening questions.—
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Ross argued that allowing local police to provide basic crowd control — rather than restricting coordination — could have reduced risks during recent confrontations.—
Adjective
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The educators at elementary, middle and high schools across the district received honorary titles as chairs of teaching excellence for one year in their respective subjects.—
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Tutoring elementary students is one of the best opportunities to build meaningful community relations, program officials say.—
Adjective
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Episodes are bound together by banal introductory voiceover, in which our narrator recites ominous clichés that, like everything in His & Hers, border on parody.—
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So, with the support of the school for developing an introductory class on archaeology, Harris-Thacker developed one.—
Adjective
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There, everyone comes and goes on longboats that have awnings, a row of rudimentary seats, and a small outboard motor.—
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The medical system provides only the most rudimentary care, and hospitals have little to no medicine.—
Adjective
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This would be a fundamental acknowledgment that women’s basketball operates at the same elite level.—
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If the regime in Venezuela—without Maduro but still Chavista—rebuffs American demands, will Trump take further military action aimed at more fundamental change, which could plunge the country into factional violence?—
Cite this Entry
“Meat-and-potatoes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/meat-and-potatoes. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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