bare-knuckle

adjective or adverb

bare-knuck·​le ˈber-ˈnə-kəl 

variants or less commonly bare-knuckled

ˈber-ˈnə-kəld 

or bare-knuckles

ˈber-ˈnə-kəlz 

1

: not using boxing gloves

… champion bare-knuckle prizefighter of England …

—Dennis Craig

when men fought bare-knuckle

2

: having a fierce unrelenting character

bare-knuckle politics

Examples of bare-knuckle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Monday night’s childish spectacle saw Jackson marching into the midfield, losing his cool, and throwing a bare-knuckle punch at Chubb. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Expect sweeping cinematography and bare-knuckle sequences as the directors of Free Solo take us on a journey to the highest mountain on earth. — John Ross, Vanity Fair, 10 Sep. 2026

Teixeira's decisive performance suggests potential future opportunities in Misfits Boxing or bare-knuckle promotions, while concerns were raised about Rua taking further punishment in striking contests. — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026

The case against the Tates That image of impunity shattered on July 18, when US Marshals arrested the brothers outside a bare-knuckle boxing match in Miami on an extradition request from British authorities. — Jonny Hallam, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1882, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for bare-knuckle

• buckle
• chicle
• chuckle
• knuckle
• muckle
• suckle
• tical
• honeysuckle