: including only what is most basic or necessary
a bare-bones email program
Skyscrapers of steel hung with curtain walls of glass, these sleek buildings were impressive monuments to bare-bones architectural integrity.—
C. A. Mills
C. A. Mills
: the barest essentials, facts, or elements
the bare bones of her life
Examples of bare-bones in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Martha Ross, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
Under the current road map for Artemis III, the mission will begin with the launch of a single, bare-bones Starship vehicle that will serve as a refueling depot.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 12 Oct. 2025
Alison Herman, Variety, 30 Sep. 2025
Beyond endangering liberal principles domestically, these trends are likely to accelerate the rise of illiberal multilateralism, a bare bones international order shaped and even dominated by authoritarian great powers.
—Stewart Patrick, Foreign Affairs, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bare-bones
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Adjective
Popular national parks in the Bay Area such as Alcatraz, the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and Point Reyes National Seashore remain open during the shutdown, though some of the larger open-air parks will offer bare-bones services.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
Under the current road map for Artemis III, the mission will begin with the launch of a single, bare-bones Starship vehicle that will serve as a refueling depot.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 12 Oct. 2025
Plural noun
The season ends on a cliffhanger, a choice that’s both frustrating but at least portends a seemingly inevitable second installment that can elaborate on what’s initially left bare bones.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 30 Sep. 2025
Beyond endangering liberal principles domestically, these trends are likely to accelerate the rise of illiberal multilateralism, a bare bones international order shaped and even dominated by authoritarian great powers.
—Stewart Patrick, Foreign Affairs, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bare-bones
Cite this Entry
“Bare-bones.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bare-bones. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
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