bare-bones

1 of 2

adjective

: including only what is most basic or necessary
a bare-bones email program
Skyscrapers of steel hung with curtain walls of glass, these sleek buildings were impressive monuments to bare-bones architectural integrity.C. A. Mills

bare bones

2 of 2

plural noun

: the barest essentials, facts, or elements
the bare bones of her life

Examples of bare-bones in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
Accordingly, what may first appear to be a bare-bones minimalist frame is just the base of a modular system that allows users to opt in to details and accessories that work for them—and say no to the ones that don’t. Erika Owen, Architectural Digest, 18 Mar. 2025 The idea for the Women’s Pro Baseball League was announced with a bare-bones press release. Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 17 Mar. 2025
Plural noun
Many of those efforts came to a halt when the Trump administration stripped the agency down to bare bones. Aria Bendix, NBC News, 9 Mar. 2025 The post-operative note is bare bones and also fails to have any sense of credibility regarding who created it, when it was created or who the was the actual non-doctor that performed this shower and shave post operative evaluation. David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 7 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bare-bones

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1868, in the meaning defined above

Plural Noun

1647, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bare-bones was in 1647

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Cite this Entry

“Bare-bones.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bare-bones. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

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