1
: a rodeo contest in which participants ride a bucking horse bareback for as long as possible without being thrown off
… the Rodeo had a variety of different events from barebacking to steer wrestling …Alyssa Gallardo
2
informal + impolite : unprotected sexual intercourse : sex without a condom
especially : unprotected anal intercourse
bareback verb, transitive + intransitive
barebacked; barebacking; barebacks

Word History

Etymology

bareback + -ing entry 1

First Known Use

1926, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of barebacking was in 1926

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Cite this Entry

“Barebacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/barebacking. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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