: 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
C. A. Mills
: the barest essentials, facts, or elements
the bare bones of her life
Examples of bare-bones in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 28 July 2025
Em Out, the siblings set aside their signature razor-sharp coke rap bars and boundless braggadocio to focus on family in a bare-bones appearance that opened with Pusha lovingly remembering the pair’s mother.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 16 July 2025
Mackensy Lunsford, The Tennessean, 14 Nov. 2024
Wan’s ice cream bar is purposefully bare bones—a single counter with stainless steel wells holding a rotation of limited-run flavors.
—Clarissa Wei, AFAR Media, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for bare-bones
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.
Adjective
Delta says segmentation is coming to high-end cabins Spirit emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March and has been trying to win over customers with more upscale travel options, which have fared better than the bare-bones coach tickets Spirit has been known for for years.
—Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 28 July 2025
Em Out, the siblings set aside their signature razor-sharp coke rap bars and boundless braggadocio to focus on family in a bare-bones appearance that opened with Pusha lovingly remembering the pair’s mother.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 16 July 2025
Plural noun
Though the indoor dining room is a bit bare bones, the patio attached to the food truck kitchen is a welcoming oasis off a busy South Nashville strip.
—Mackensy Lunsford, The Tennessean, 14 Nov. 2024
Wan’s ice cream bar is purposefully bare bones—a single counter with stainless steel wells holding a rotation of limited-run flavors.
—Clarissa Wei, AFAR Media, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for bare-bones
Cite this Entry
“Bare-bones.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bare-bones. Accessed 3 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share