variants
also bare-knuckled
or bare-knuckles
as in gladiatorial
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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
The film followed Chan Lok-kwun (Raymond Lam), a mainland refugee trying to pay his way to a fake ID by winning bare-knuckle brawls.
—
Marcus Lim, Variety, 29 Oct. 2025
The 2022 bare-knuckle holiday sensation Violent Night followed an embittered Santa, armed with lethal combat skills, who takes out a team of ruthless mercenaries to rescue a girl and her family.
—Justin Kroll, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2025
And to go bare-knuckle with the Chargers.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 7 Sep. 2025
As Republicans moved to have state legislatures under their umbrella of control add more favorable seats to the 2026 midterm maps in Texas, Ohio and Indiana, Newsom matched the bare-knuckle approach with a new version of California's congressional maps that would eliminate five GOP-leaning seats.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bare-knuckle
Marcus Lim, Variety, 29 Oct. 2025
The 2022 bare-knuckle holiday sensation Violent Night followed an embittered Santa, armed with lethal combat skills, who takes out a team of ruthless mercenaries to rescue a girl and her family.
—Justin Kroll, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2025
And to go bare-knuckle with the Chargers.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 7 Sep. 2025
As Republicans moved to have state legislatures under their umbrella of control add more favorable seats to the 2026 midterm maps in Texas, Ohio and Indiana, Newsom matched the bare-knuckle approach with a new version of California's congressional maps that would eliminate five GOP-leaning seats.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bare-knuckle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bare-knuckle
- gladiatorial
- in-your-face
- combative
- pugnacious
- confrontational
- take-no-prisoners
- belligerent
- blood-and-guts
Adjective
-
One of the city’s star attractions is the huge 25,000-seat Great Theater, used for theatrical performances, public assemblies, religious ceremonies and, in the Roman era, gladiatorial battles.—
Maureen O'Hare,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
-
In America's gladiatorial two-party system, that could well deprive Republicans of a winning political issue with which to batter out-of-touch, climate change-besotted Democrats.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
The same old Buffalo Sabres couldn’t handle the heavy forechecking, in-your-face style teams such as the Florida Panthers play.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Many of the most in-your-face signs of Operation Midway Blitz have evaporated from public life in Chicago.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Earlier in the night, the combative progressive suggested the results would not be known until Wednesday or later after the Texas Supreme Court blocked a Dallas judge who ordered polls to stay open two extra hours after complaints from voters who were turned away.—
Philip Elliott,
Time,
4 Mar. 2026
-
This seems a little combative, which is understandable.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The flag-waving, the face paint, the pugnacious songs, the banners, the bellicose taunts at the opponents, the arms flung out in unison foster a collective spirit that can turn violent at times.—
Ian Buruma,
New Yorker,
23 Feb. 2026
-
Meta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg made an extended, pugnacious appearance in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Wednesday, defending his company from the witness stand against a lawsuit that alleges social media harms children.—
Sonja Sharp,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Mary, who was just finishing up undergrad at NYU herself, responded to a casting-call flyer Ron posted and slipped into the role with the confrontational zeal of a creative soul mate.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The clash mirrors a broader fight within the Democratic Party, as progressive candidates push for a more confrontational stance toward Israel’s government and more moderate lawmakers warn against alienating pro-Israel voters and donors.—
Olivia Olander,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Anna may be be the most solid of the bunch, a take-no-prisoners (so to speak) type who may be sturdier than any of the men.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Ed O’Bradovich, the young, take-no-prisoners defensive end, was a product of Proviso East High School.—
Charles Billington,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
In 2018, mixed martial-arts champion Matt Serra was having a family meal in a restaurant when a belligerent drunken man entered, threatening servers and patrons.—
Timothy J. Pawl,
The Conversation,
23 Feb. 2026
-
However, Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka was confident to chase under overcast conditions after beating Australia earlier in a group match when opening batter Pathum Nissanka scored a belligerent century.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
Still, these sections lack the blood-and-guts tension of her interactions with her mother.—
Madeline Leung Coleman,
Vulture,
27 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bare-knuckle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bare-knuckle. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
