as in spartan
providing only the essentials and nothing fancy or luxurious
a low-cost, no-frills vacation during which we camped out and cooked our own meals
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of no-frills
The no-frills defensive defenseman, a Franklin native, played 17 games last season.
—
Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 22 Oct. 2025
This no-frills burger-and-beer joint opened on College Avenue, downtown’s main drag, in 2004 and is the newest of the dive bars mentioned here.
—Elizabeth Hutchison Hicklin, Southern Living, 17 Oct. 2025
Whereas Steve has the no-frills style of an American tech executive, Noone carries himself with a certain theatrical flair.
—Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
Her husband, Prince Philip, was more of a no-frills drinker.
—Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for no-frills
Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 22 Oct. 2025
This no-frills burger-and-beer joint opened on College Avenue, downtown’s main drag, in 2004 and is the newest of the dive bars mentioned here.
—Elizabeth Hutchison Hicklin, Southern Living, 17 Oct. 2025
Whereas Steve has the no-frills style of an American tech executive, Noone carries himself with a certain theatrical flair.
—Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
Her husband, Prince Philip, was more of a no-frills drinker.
—Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for no-frills
Recent Examples of Synonyms for no-frills
Adjective
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Made the short walk back down the hill, sat in the spartan dorm room that was my home for the next nine months.—
Sarah Chamberlain,
PEOPLE,
10 Oct. 2025
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With ski season only a few weeks away, the Vail Pass rest area reopened to the public on Tuesday with a bigger, better building that replaced a spartan structure built in 1980.—
John Meyer,
Denver Post,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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According to Bruce Blair, a former Air Force launch officer and nuclear policy expert, between 1962 and the mid-1970s the most powerful digits on the globe were simple – eight zeros.—
Charlotte Reck,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
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That something as simple as a COVID vaccine might improve survival in cancer patients receiving standard immunotherapy has taken oncologists by surprise — in a good way.—
Lisa Jarvis,
Twin Cities,
8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Making quality life in New York City possible for a majority of its residents must, even under the most austere economic analysis, be good leadership.—
Newsweek Contributors,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
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Lady Gaga has worn the habit in music videos and on tour, while designers including Rick Owens have frequently played with the cloth caps’ austere form.—
Jacqui Palumbo,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“No-frills.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/no-frills. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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