bare-knuckle

adjective or adverb

bare-knuck·​le ˈber-ˈnə-kəl 

variants or less commonly bare-knuckled

ˈber-ˈnə-kəld 

or bare-knuckles

ˈber-ˈnə-kəlz 

1

: not using boxing gloves

champion bare-knuckle prizefighter of England

—Dennis Craig

when men fought bare-knuckle

2

: having a fierce unrelenting character

bare-knuckle politics

Examples of bare-knuckle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Pierre follows him to place where these men, known as ultras, hang out, and finds a subcultural haven swathed in swastikas and simmering with aggression (there’s even bare-knuckle boxing). —Damon Wise, Deadline, 7 Sep. 2024

Along with his partner, Ty (George Carroll), Layne uses bare-knuckle tactics that seem closer to those of a U.S. Marine than to those of a cop, as evidenced in an opening shootout where the bullets really fly. —Jordan Mintzer, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2024

Alatorre was nevertheless able to distinguish himself fast with his bare-knuckle style. —Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 13 Aug. 2024

As this race turns into a bare-knuckles brawl, follow all the campaign news on the ElectionLine hub on Deadline. —Ted Johnson, Deadline, 9 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1882, in the meaning defined at sense 1