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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
During years of drought, when the water level dropped, trees grew in the lake bed, but when water returned following heavy rainfalls, the trees lost their leaves and were just bare trunks and branches. Elizabeth Marie Himchak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Aug. 2025 Some reseeding may also be necessary after winter to fill in bare areas. Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 11 Aug. 2025
Verb
Advertisement Dunham, who wrote and directed the episode, also seeds their interactions with the distractions, evasions, and half-truths of two people with baggage who aren’t yet comfortable baring their whole souls. Judy Berman, Time, 10 July 2025 The members of Louisville's Quick Response Team come baring Narcan, fentanyl test strips and their own souls. Eleanor McCrary, The Courier-Journal, 2 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for bare
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bare
Adjective
  • The thrill of going 0-60 mph in mere seconds, or owning something so few people in the world will ever see, has kept Stewart obsessed with his fast cars.
    Olivia Evans, The Courier-Journal, 18 Aug. 2025
  • The emperor of the forest, whose brain has one hundred and seventy times more neurons than man’s, will be reduced to mere white bones on this earth.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • The recycled leather lanyard adds to its convenience and simple, timeless style.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 16 Aug. 2025
  • In North Carolina, Republicans are a few votes shy of a supermajority in one chamber but still control the redistricting process because the state’s congressional maps are not subject to veto and therefore can be passed by a simple majority in the legislature.
    Elena Shao, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • There’s a good amount of pedaling and a few exposed, high-stakes areas.
    Shauna Farnell, Denver Post, 15 Aug. 2025
  • Senior roles such as team leaders and lead engineers, requiring a broader skillset and the ability to deal with strategic challenges, may be less exposed.
    Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Strip away the occasional ceasefires and peace deals that turn out to be neither; what remains is a naked contest that originated long ago and stubbornly refuses to go.
    Hussein Agha, New Yorker, 22 Aug. 2025
  • Hopefully, there will also be time to explain what happened to all of Chris’ naked partiers.
    Adam B. Vary, Variety, 22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Banking has become functionally correct but emotionally devoid, with the industry swimming in a sea of sameness.
    Michael Abbott, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
  • Delle, devoid for so long from its intrinsic need for social interaction might be filling in the gaps by talking to himself.
    Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 14 Feb. 2023
Verb
  • But any study of Maye’s recent tape reveals a quarterback playing simply to survive at times behind bad offensive lines — his last at North Carolina and his first in New England.
    Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 16 Aug. 2025
  • Further, staggered flashbacks reveal Corry’s lifelong anxiety over abandonment, stemming from the death of her mother in childbirth; the personal resonance of her mission at work to heal young families facing death and disease becomes poignantly clear.
    Guy Lodge, Variety, 16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • These frames slip right around standard switch plates, instantly turning them from plain plastic rectangles into polished, eye-catching features.
    Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Aug. 2025
  • To devein, or not to devein, isn't a plain yes or no answer.
    Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 17 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • There are women who shout and shout at the empty air.
    Rachel Cusk, New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2025
  • This can also be an issue for heirs who may have to empty pre-tax accounts and boost their adjusted gross income during their peak earning years, experts say.
    Kate Dore, CFP®, EA, CNBC, 24 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Bare.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bare. Accessed 29 Aug. 2025.

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