variants
also bare-knuckled
or bare-knuckles
as in gladiatorial
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bare-knuckle
Adjective
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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 -
The women try sketchy cash-advance loans and then giving blood, which turns into a messy set piece, executed with as much in-your-face fluid as gross-out classics like There’s Something About Mary or Monty Python’s Mr. Creosote sketch.—
Fred Topel,
Deadline,
17 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Saturday Night Live took aim this week at President Donald Trump‘s combative meeting with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — with an assist from an all-time SNL great.—
Dave Nemetz,
TVLine,
1 Mar. 2025
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This sharp critique from Salesforce’s chief executive sets a combative tone, reinforcing why Salesforce sought a potent ally in Google to bolster its AI credentials.—
Janakiram MSV,
Forbes,
25 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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It’s been a wonky stretch for the Magic, who looked like pugnacious early-season darlings in December.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
The Athletic,
25 Feb. 2025
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Yet Max Is Free For 7 Days With This Prime Video Promo The pugnacious pair hightail it to Danny’s hometown of Belfast, Ireland to make contact with their handler William (Tony Hirst) and his henchwoman Simone (Kate Katzman).—
Courtney Howard,
Variety,
20 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Allen Iverson, another take-no-prisoners competitor, had 35 for the East.—
Jerry McDonald,
The Mercury News,
14 Feb. 2025
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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
Adjective
-
Trump himself has taken a more belligerent posture toward multiple longtime U.S. allies in recent weeks, saying the U.S. should take over Greenland from Denmark and that Canada should be the 51st state.—
Brian Bennett,
TIME,
25 Feb. 2025
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While breaking that rule was bad enough, King became belligerent when Captain Glenn busted him for drinking too much.—
Gina Ragusa,
EW.com,
3 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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That realization elevates the film’s campy blood-and-guts from gore to gut-punch.—
Gráinne O'Hara Belluomo,
WWD,
1 Dec. 2024
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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
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The militant group has said that the move would affect the remaining hostages as well.—
Wafaa Shurafa,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2025
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In December, a coalition of opposition fighters led by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) took over cities and eventually Damascus as regime forces retreated.—
Jane Arraf,
NPR,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
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Cite this Entry
“Bare-knuckle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bare-knuckle. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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