as in sparse
including only what is most basic or needed
a bare-bones website a bare-bones wedding ceremony The hotel rooms are bare-bones.
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Recent Examples of bare-bones
Vast is determined to launch a bare-bones station to orbit as soon as possible, with or without federal input, according to the company.
—
Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 21 Mar. 2026
By Todd Woody, Bloomberg As another wildfire season looms, insurance companies have abandoned some California neighborhoods at lower risk of burning, forcing tens of thousands of homeowners to obtain bare-bones coverage from the state’s insurer of last resort.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2026
In Ray’s bare-bones house, spotless and white and lacking any of the familiar comforts that make Colin’s life with his parents so cozy, there is a guy who reads contemporary auto-fiction who needs little reading glasses to do so.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
The old studio theater had a bare-bones lobby that could only be described as functional, with a temporary bar.
—Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bare-bones
Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 21 Mar. 2026
By Todd Woody, Bloomberg As another wildfire season looms, insurance companies have abandoned some California neighborhoods at lower risk of burning, forcing tens of thousands of homeowners to obtain bare-bones coverage from the state’s insurer of last resort.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2026
In Ray’s bare-bones house, spotless and white and lacking any of the familiar comforts that make Colin’s life with his parents so cozy, there is a guy who reads contemporary auto-fiction who needs little reading glasses to do so.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
The old studio theater had a bare-bones lobby that could only be described as functional, with a temporary bar.
—Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bare-bones
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bare-bones
Adjective
-
The no-fuss interior is pretty sparse, bar a handful of tables and small wine cabinet.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
-
But as space continues to expand today, and matter becomes sparser, the universe is looking increasingly like de Sitter space again.—
Shalma Wegsman,
Quanta Magazine,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Who once misfit the eye as mere prosperity, the glare that causes objects.—
Timmy Straw,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Maybe the mere fact of having been born illustrious, with no apparent faults, with nothing to prove or to be ashamed of, had liberated John from the resentments the rest of us feel, and from the cunning and ambition such resentments fuel.—
Jeffrey Eugenides,
New Yorker,
4 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Chiesa di San Luigi dei Francesi Even if not a huge art buff, take the five minutes to wander to the Contarelli chapel inside this small catholic church which is just a short stroll from the Pantheon.—
CNT Editors,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
-
That’s why Mack is reluctant to hazard a guess as to how many more wins this could mean this season for the Royals, who are seeking to get back to the postseason after falling short last year in the wake of their 2024 breakthrough.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Analysts partially credit the stability to a mature domestic biofuels industry that allows the country to withstand geopolitical shocks with minimal risk of fuel shortages.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
For the most part, the nagging ailments have been minimal, with Jaquez appearing in all but seven games this season, after missing 16 last season.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bare-bones.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bare-bones. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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