as in sparse
including only what is most basic or needed
a bare-bones website a bare-bones wedding ceremony The hotel rooms are bare-bones.
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Recent Examples of bare-bones
Costumes are dark and minimal (at the end, Erika wears the same black-cocktail-dress-and-pearls ensemble that Vanessa wore at the opening); the staging is bare-bones—just a couple of chairs, stark lighting, no projections, and a few minutes of dry ice during the snow scene.
—
Russell Platt, New Yorker, 20 May 2026
Today, big airlines can sell a handful of bare-bones seats at Spirit-level prices while still charging more for standard and premium tickets elsewhere on their planes.
—Rio Yamat, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
Today, big airlines can sell a handful of bare-bones seats at Spirit-level prices while still charging more for standard and premium tickets elsewhere on their planes.
—ABC News, 17 May 2026
That would be the bare-bones Nissan Versa, still far more expensive than the Jaecoo, once destination and other fees are added.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for bare-bones
Russell Platt, New Yorker, 20 May 2026
Today, big airlines can sell a handful of bare-bones seats at Spirit-level prices while still charging more for standard and premium tickets elsewhere on their planes.
—Rio Yamat, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
Today, big airlines can sell a handful of bare-bones seats at Spirit-level prices while still charging more for standard and premium tickets elsewhere on their planes.
—ABC News, 17 May 2026
That would be the bare-bones Nissan Versa, still far more expensive than the Jaecoo, once destination and other fees are added.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for bare-bones
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bare-bones
Adjective
-
The close-to-the-crown plaits create a sleek, polished finish while helping camouflage sparse areas by minimizing visible spacing between each braid.—
Omenaa Boakye,
InStyle,
15 June 2026
-
Yet for an industry of that size, the coverage devoted to it is sparse and uneven.—
Ethan Stone,
Miami Herald,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
This is not a matter of mere optics.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Dec. 2025
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But there’s a willful spark in these fleet, buoyant tracks that refuses to settle for mere revivalism.—
Philip Sherburne,
Pitchfork,
9 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Anyone hoping to see intricate short passing has been sorely disappointed thus far.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
16 June 2026
-
The Oilers have shown interest in hiring Babcock, but league sources told The Athletic the NHL is investigating Babcock’s short stint with Columbus in 2023.—
Jesse Granger,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
There’s minimal letup in the strongest division in the league.—
Jeff Howe,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
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Just look at the initial whitewash of the Watergate scandal at Richard Nixon's library and the minimal account at Bill Clinton's library of his impeachment.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bare-bones.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bare-bones. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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