variants
also bare-knuckled
or bare-knuckles
as in gladiatorial
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bare-knuckle
Adjective
-
The newcomers are aggressive, favoring in-your-face advertisements over partnerships with luxury brands or mingling at high-society events to identify potential clients.—
Kevin Lim,
CNBC,
28 Jan. 2025 -
Berg’s series pushes the limits of violence and cruelty, but his rugged, in-your-face style succeeds in keeping you on edge and spares no one.—
Randy Myers,
The Mercury News,
17 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Under cross-examination, Ephron became combative and defensive, especially when asked about the $30 million lawsuit.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
3 Feb. 2025
-
Disclosure of the grants came the same day that Patel was grilled in a combative Senate confirmation hearing, including about his past comments praising the rioters who attacked the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.—
Elisabeth Buchwald,
CNN,
11 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
One reason the collection merits revisiting is Macdonald’s voice, which is both witty and pugnacious, the voice of a gadfly who delighted in mocking conventional pieties and in challenging the status quo.—
The New Yorker,
The New Yorker,
24 Dec. 2024
-
Even in the courtroom drama, Basso showed his gusto for physical realism by incorporating signs of fighting damage for his pugnacious but legally innocent character.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA TODAY,
24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
For Aladdin, Disney’s team built on the take-no-chances, take-no-prisoners lessons of its Broadway predecessors to all but guarantee a quality hit.—
Vulture Editors,
Vulture,
4 Feb. 2025
-
With its mile-a-minute pace, commitment to political incorrectness, and acerbic, expletive-laden dialogue, Veep is a far cry from the sunnier comedies on this list, skewering every facet of the political process with a take-no-prisoners attitude.—
Taylor Antrim,
Vogue,
31 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
American companies cannot hire nationals of the belligerent nation due to sanctions.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA TODAY,
30 Jan. 2025
-
China is less blatantly belligerent toward South Korea.—
Robert E. Kelly,
Foreign Affairs,
30 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
That realization elevates the film’s campy blood-and-guts from gore to gut-punch.—
Gráinne O'Hara Belluomo,
WWD,
1 Dec. 2024
-
The striking contrast with everything heard earlier — not just the music but the blood-and-guts oratory — was bewildering, and in the midst of the temporary bewilderment, Melania emerged in her trim, bright-red skirt suit.—
Philip Kennicott,
Washington Post,
19 July 2024
Adjective
-
The militant group also accused Israel of delaying the entry of essential medicines and hospital supplies, as well as not allowing tents, prefabricated houses, fuel, or rubble-removing machines into Gaza.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN,
11 Feb. 2025
-
The militant group accused Israel of violating the ceasefire agreement by targeting refugees with airstrikes, delaying the return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza, and restricting humanitarian aid.—
Justin Gest,
Newsweek,
11 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
If Trump’s musings are really aimed at bullying the Canadian government into trade concessions, then his bellicose bluster is self-defeating.—
Lawrence B.A. Hatter / Made by History,
TIME,
4 Feb. 2025
-
Consider, for instance, that members of the interim government, despite their Islamist backgrounds, have refrained from any bellicose anti-Israeli rhetoric.—
Volker Perthes,
Foreign Affairs,
24 Jan. 2025
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.
Articles Related to bare-knuckle
Thesaurus Entries Near bare-knuckle
Cite this Entry
“Bare-knuckle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bare-knuckle. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share