# meat on the bones

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/meat-on-the-bones
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A substantial addition to or augmentation of the content of something, especially something which is unfinished or incomplete.

## Examples

- This rough draft needs more meat on the bones.
- The report is a good start, but you need to add more meat on the bones before the meeting.
- While the initial proposal outlined a promising vision, it lacked the necessary meat on the bones to convince the board of its long-term viability.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.