: 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
Jenelle Riley, Variety, 9 June 2025
But in states with bare-bones offerings, workers typically refer callers to peer-support groups such as Gamblers Anonymous, or to online resources on budgeting, says Cole Wogoman, a director at the National Council on Problem Gambling, which runs the helpline.
—Hana Kiros, The Atlantic, 5 June 2025
Mackensy Lunsford, The Tennessean, 14 Nov. 2024
Wan’s ice cream bar is purposefully bare bones—a single counter with stainless steel wells holding a rotation of limited-run flavors.
—Clarissa Wei, AFAR Media, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for bare-bones
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Adjective
But this was in many ways a bare-bones show about a world of excess and artifice.
—Jenelle Riley, Variety, 9 June 2025
But in states with bare-bones offerings, workers typically refer callers to peer-support groups such as Gamblers Anonymous, or to online resources on budgeting, says Cole Wogoman, a director at the National Council on Problem Gambling, which runs the helpline.
—Hana Kiros, The Atlantic, 5 June 2025
Plural noun
Though the indoor dining room is a bit bare bones, the patio attached to the food truck kitchen is a welcoming oasis off a busy South Nashville strip.
—Mackensy Lunsford, The Tennessean, 14 Nov. 2024
Wan’s ice cream bar is purposefully bare bones—a single counter with stainless steel wells holding a rotation of limited-run flavors.
—Clarissa Wei, AFAR Media, 13 May 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 27 Jun. 2025.
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