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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
  • With mere hours to go until Coming Home was due to land, it was removed from the schedules, a BBC spokeswoman confirmed.
    Max Goldbart, Deadline, 18 Aug. 2025
  • Bondi, many have concluded, has turned the Justice Department into a mere arm of the White House.
    Ruth Marcus, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • But it was intended to be a simple, three-course meal, the documents showed.
    Chiara Eisner, NPR, 16 Aug. 2025
  • The recycled leather lanyard adds to its convenience and simple, timeless style.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 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
  • The stitched balls are stamped in gold leaf with the Dukes logo and are then held over a naked flame as a small amount of grease is applied.
    James Wallace, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2025
  • Cher, one of the most important figures of those years, has many style hits to her credit, such as flared pants and one of the first interpretations of the naked dress.
    Michel Mejía, Glamour, 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
  • 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
  • His Monday meeting in the Oval Office with Zelensky will likely reveal an evolution in their relationship, and Trump’s view of Putin, since their ghastly February blowout.
    Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • To devein, or not to devein, isn't a plain yes or no answer.
    Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 17 Aug. 2025
  • 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
Adjective
  • The day after the crash, the FWC investigators found a stash of empty booze bottles and cans on the boat.
    Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 12 Aug. 2025
  • The heartless subway mugger who slashed and badly wounded a woman on an empty Manhattan train car will stay locked up following his arrest late last week.
    Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 12 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Bare.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bare. Accessed 27 Aug. 2025.

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