bare-bones

\ ˈber-ˈbōnz

How to pronounce bare-bones (audio)

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Definition of bare-bones

(Entry 1 of 2)

: including only what is most basic or necessary a bare-bones e-mail program Skyscrapers of steel hung with curtain walls of glass, these sleek buildings were impressive monuments to bare-bones architectural integrity.— C. A. Mills

bare bones

Definition of bare bones (Entry 2 of 2)

: the barest essentials, facts, or elements the bare bones of her life

Examples of bare-bones in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Plural noun Analysts at Deutsche Bank say the type of bare bones deal that is possible to reach in 2020 would mean friction at the border and reduced access to Europe for the huge UK services industry. — Charles Riley, CNN, "Britain needs a big trade deal with Europe and wants one with America. It may end 2020 with neither," 31 Jan. 2020 The space has been stripped down to its bare bones: The main floor, a mezzanine, the vault room, the deck and the impressive front entrance from the building's original use as a bank. — Polly Campbell, Cincinnati.com, "Dear Restaurant and Butchery to open in Hyde Park," 30 Jan. 2020 Even better, the traditional Italian mountain huts called rifugios bore no resemblance to the bare bones huts of North America. — Amy Tara Koch, New York Times, "Hut Skiing in the Dolomites: Storybook Scenery and Grappa Included," 25 Nov. 2019 Thanks to some clever knife skills, all the meat on the wing is pushed to the top, leaving one end with just bare bone. — Nick Kindelsperger, chicagotribune.com, "Forget Buffalo wings — Korean fried chicken is better," 22 Mar. 2018 His freshman season was bare bones in terms of stats (1.5 points and 1.1 rebounds in 21 games) and minutes (9.6 per game) and highlights (his season high of 14 came in an exhibition game). — Tom Noie, Indianapolis Star, "Crossroads Classic matchup with Notre Dame just another game for IU's Damezi Anderson," 20 Dec. 2019 Scientists can also use bones, but a suspect isn’t likely to leave a bare bone behind. — Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, "Science Can Now Find You With Just a Tiny Piece of Hair," 24 Nov. 2019 Those are the bare bones of Arctic, which draws its magnetic pull from both Mikkelsen's expressive, heartbreaking performance as well as the overpowering might of the conditions around him. — Isaac Feldberg, Fortune, "What to Watch (and Skip) in Theaters and on Streaming Platforms This Weekend," 22 Nov. 2019 The airline's bare bones fare, which used to be the only option and comes with just one personal item that fits underneath the seat, is now called Allegiant Basic. — Dawn Gilbertson, USA TODAY, "No-frills Allegiant Air adds tickets with frills (for a fee)," 14 Nov. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bare-bones.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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bare essentials

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Cite this Entry

“Bare-bones.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bare-bones. Accessed 17 Feb. 2020.

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