: 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
The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026
Realism is achieved not through bare-bones scenic furniture but through the combustible relationships of characters who exist with one another in a purgatory of disillusionment.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2026
Manica worked with the spot’s bare bones — a large room with high ceilings — and divided it into smaller sections.
—Jenna Thompson
april 21, Kansas City Star, 21 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bare-bones
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Adjective
That would be the bare-bones Nissan Versa, still far more expensive than the Jaecoo, once destination and other fees are added.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026
Realism is achieved not through bare-bones scenic furniture but through the combustible relationships of characters who exist with one another in a purgatory of disillusionment.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 29 Apr. 2026
Plural noun
Promotional materials for Neighbors First are mostly bare bones.
—David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2026
Manica worked with the spot’s bare bones — a large room with high ceilings — and divided it into smaller sections.
—Jenna Thompson
april 21, Kansas City Star, 21 Apr. 2026
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 15 May. 2026.
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