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Definition of barenext
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bare

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective bare differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of bare are bald, barren, naked, and nude. While all these words mean "deprived of naturally or conventionally appropriate covering," bare implies the removal of what is additional, superfluous, ornamental, or dispensable.

an apartment with bare walls

When might bald be a better fit than bare?

The synonyms bald and bare are sometimes interchangeable, but bald implies actual or seeming absence of natural covering and may suggest a conspicuous bareness.

a bald mountain peak

When is it sensible to use barren instead of bare?

The words barren and bare can be used in similar contexts, but barren often suggests aridity or impoverishment or sterility.

barren plains

In what contexts can naked take the place of bare?

While in some cases nearly identical to bare, naked suggests absence of protective or ornamental covering but may imply a state of nature, of destitution, or of defenselessness.

poor half-naked children

Where would nude be a reasonable alternative to bare?

While the synonyms nude and bare are close in meaning, nude applies especially to the unclothed human figure.

a nude model posing for art students

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of bare
Adjective
At a time when the Earth was bare, when there were no vertebrates, no trees, no leaves, no flowering plants, and no plants with seeds, millipedes were feeding on decaying mosses, decomposed slime, and primordial gunk. Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 13 June 2026 Start with a low-strength over-the-counter retinol two or three nights a week and apply it over moisturizer rather than on bare skin, then build frequency as tolerance grows. Allison Palmer updated June 13, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 June 2026
Verb
To protest the move, a majority of the council signed a document baring Antoine from entering the council’s offices in Petion-Ville and later signed a resolution dismissing him. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 8 June 2026 The snowy first look released by Apple back in March honestly bares some cursory resemblance to the snowy, period, Eastern European setting that the AI prompt manages to generate — which again is just for a storyboard! Brian Welk, IndieWire, 2 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for bare
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bare
Adjective
  • Boots are heated overnight and all gear stored in the Ski Concierge room on the second floor, where the doors open right onto the mountain itself and the gondola is mere schusses away.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 June 2026
  • Weighing a mere 7 ounces, the iconic Catalina Luxe Buckle Sandals are a featherweight and fashionable addition to any travel wardrobe.
    Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 12 June 2026
Adjective
  • Armando Chavez, owner of local business NorCal Siders, was brought in for a simple roof patch-up but left with a big idea.
    Kayla Moeller, CBS News, 18 June 2026
  • The cause can be something as simple as a lack of water or more complex, like fungal wilt diseases, tomato wilt viruses, walnut toxicity, or boring insects.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 17 June 2026
Adjective
  • Some lenders are more exposed than others.
    Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026
  • The outer layers of the star will eventually cool and disperse, leaving a nebula of ex-stellar material surrounding the sun's core, which will then become an exposed cooling stellar remnant called a white dwarf.
    Robert Lea, Space.com, 23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • According to prosecutors, who cited testimony and evidence at McCue's trial, the children allegedly suffered severe beatings and were forced to wear shock collars and stand naked on cinder blocks for hours or sometimes days at a time.
    Christine Pelisek, PEOPLE, 16 June 2026
  • Charges state Le Saint at one time sent the girl a photo to show his child playing with a toy, but in the picture, his fully naked reflection could be seen in a mirror.
    WCCO Staff, CBS News, 16 June 2026
Adjective
  • Her outfit was devoid of any other color.
    Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 15 June 2026
  • This is a story devoid of childlike wonder, just the horrific evil men are capable of and the small acts of grace found in unspeakable circumstances.
    Chris Nashawaty, Entertainment Weekly, 13 June 2026
Verb
  • Furthermore, evidence revealed the DTO was importing large quantities of Ketamine into Colorado.
    Christa Swanson, CBS News, 14 June 2026
  • On the 13th of July, Dave Roberts will reveal his selection for the National League‘s starting pitcher in the All-Star Game.
    Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2026
Adjective
  • This is my dream job, plain and simple.
    Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 June 2026
  • The surprise room was plain, with two chairs and a table.
    Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 16 June 2026
Adjective
  • So will many of you seated in uncovered sections.
    Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 10 June 2026
  • Engineers later analyzed radio data recorded by NASA’s Deep Space Network and uncovered signs of a serious problem.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Bare.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bare. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.

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