bare-knuckle

adjective

variants also bare-knuckled or bare-knuckles
Definition of bare-knucklenext
as in gladiatorial

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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-knuckle Expect sweeping cinematography and bare-knuckle sequences as the directors of Free Solo take us on a journey to the highest mountain on earth. — John Ross, Vanity Fair, 10 Sep. 2026 Teixeira's decisive performance suggests potential future opportunities in Misfits Boxing or bare-knuckle promotions, while concerns were raised about Rua taking further punishment in striking contests. — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 The case against the Tates That image of impunity shattered on July 18, when US Marshals arrested the brothers outside a bare-knuckle boxing match in Miami on an extradition request from British authorities. — Jonny Hallam, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026 Hassabis, who won the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 2024 for pioneering the use of AI in protein prediction, is based in London and has largely avoided the viper pit created by the bare-knuckle AI race playing out in Silicon Valley. — Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 15 July 2026 Kerr, a bare-knuckle boxer and father who was in his 30s, boarded a Jet2 plane from Larnaca in Cyprus on Sunday, June 21, with his girlfriend, the outlets shared. — Adam England, PEOPLE, 25 June 2026 Surviving and thriving during 50 years of bare-knuckle Massachusetts politics is proof of that. — Jon Keller, CBS News, 15 June 2026 The spectacle brought together two bare-knuckle brands that have been intertwined for years, and was symbolic of the pugilistic moment in American politics. — Zac Anderson, USA Today, 14 June 2026 California’s decision to redraw its congressional map to flip as many as five House seats to Democrats in November is poised to play a big and potentially decisive role in the nation’s broader, bare-knuckle fight for control of Congress. — Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 1 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bare-knuckle
  1. gladiatorial
  2. in-your-face
  3. combative
  4. pugnacious
  5. confrontational
  6. take-no-prisoners
  7. belligerent
  8. blood-and-guts
Adjective
  • There was a gladiatorial spirit to the earlier stadium, with its dual towers connected by an elegantly curving grandstand with a series of arches facing the street.
    — Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 19 Sep. 2026
  • The mainly movie channel ventured into original programming with the tale of a Thracian soldier who is condemned to fight in Rome's gladiatorial arenas, only to become a champion and vow to bring down the Empire.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of gladiatorial
Adjective
  • Blatant, in-your-face lying, cheating and stealing is the norm.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 16 Sep. 2026
  • How To Use Celery Much like dusty pink, which adds sophisticated warmth in lieu of white paint, or a hint of blue, which lends that just-right pop, Celery takes on a similar role without being an in-your-face-color.
    — Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of in-your-face
Adjective
  • Challenger Robert Luna ultimately beat the combative sitting sheriff, Alex Villanueva, by more than 20 percentage points.
    — Connor Sheets, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The combative couple at the centre of the series are film star Carla Duval (Sienna Miller) and tech mogul Morgan Henderson (Dominic West).
    — Irenie Forshaw, TheWeek, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of combative
Adjective
  • In 2005, the Cage was opened by Ross (the Boss) Friedman, a founding member of the pugnacious and seminal punk band the Dictators, stalwarts of the early CBGB scene.
    — Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Though less overtly pugnacious than the other main far-right cabinet member, Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, with whom he is often compared, Smotrich has used his time in office to ramp up settlement building.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of pugnacious
Adjective
  • The environment around Venus at the top of the month is pointed, confrontational, and probably a bit rage-inducing.
    — Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The incident came as agitators against immigration adopt a confrontational new tactic of trying to stop the boats landing on England’s shores, clashing with police and rescue workers in the process.
    — Jill Lawless, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of confrontational
Adjective
  • Indeed, the polar opposite of both Number One’s icy demeanor and Chapel’s long-suffering yearning, Majel is remembered by friends and colleagues as a boisterous, brassy, take-no-prisoners presence.
    — Scott Huver, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026
  • All eight club tracks follow the same basic template, one cribbed from Midwestern producers like Boo Williams and Paul Johnson, as well as early, ravey Daft Punk and, in particular, the take-no-prisoners cutups of Germany’s Soundhack.
    — Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 25 June 2026
Definition of take-no-prisoners
Adjective
  • The measure would prohibit the government from joining sanctions against any belligerent country except sanctions approved by the United Nations.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Relatives said Billini had even asked the building’s management to move her to another apartment to get her away from her belligerent neighbor.
    — Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of belligerent
Adjective
  • However, fighters in the UFC seem to get caught up in trying to appease the casuals who can only appreciate blood-and-guts wars.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2026
  • Dawn of the Dead's flood of blood-and-guts is among the most memorable in film history, if only for the unnaturally vivid shades of red.
    — Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Oct. 2025
Definition of blood-and-guts

Browse Nearby Words

barefaced
bare-knuckle
barely
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Cite this Entry

“Bare-knuckle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bare-knuckle. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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