variants
also bare-knuckled
or bare-knuckles
as in gladiatorial
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bare-knuckle
The 2022 bare-knuckle holiday sensation Violent Night followed an embittered Santa, armed with lethal combat skills, who takes out a team of ruthless mercenaries to rescue a girl and her family.
—
Justin Kroll, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2025
And to go bare-knuckle with the Chargers.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 7 Sep. 2025
As Republicans moved to have state legislatures under their umbrella of control add more favorable seats to the 2026 midterm maps in Texas, Ohio and Indiana, Newsom matched the bare-knuckle approach with a new version of California's congressional maps that would eliminate five GOP-leaning seats.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2025
His best bare-knuckle performance came in a 2024 win over ex-Bellator champion Daniel Straus.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bare-knuckle
Justin Kroll, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2025
And to go bare-knuckle with the Chargers.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 7 Sep. 2025
As Republicans moved to have state legislatures under their umbrella of control add more favorable seats to the 2026 midterm maps in Texas, Ohio and Indiana, Newsom matched the bare-knuckle approach with a new version of California's congressional maps that would eliminate five GOP-leaning seats.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2025
His best bare-knuckle performance came in a 2024 win over ex-Bellator champion Daniel Straus.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bare-knuckle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bare-knuckle
- gladiatorial
- in-your-face
- combative
- pugnacious
- confrontational
- take-no-prisoners
- belligerent
- blood-and-guts
Adjective
-
Under his rule, the teens are pitted against each other (and other supes) in gladiatorial-style combat.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
19 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Mattias Goldmann At the Manchester hotel, the most in-your-face climate item is the menu.—
Mattias Goldmann,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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And unlike the pop stars of the early aughts, who were very in-your-face with their raunchy personas, Sabrina has taken the whole thing with a sense of humor.—
Stephanie Sengwe,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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For many Democrats, however, Kirk was an offensive rage-baiter and the face of the MAGA movement's combative style.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
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Trump's combative approach to his role of healer-in-chief when tragedy strikes also represents a break from tradition, according to presidential historians who spoke with Newsweek.—
Daniel Bush,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Then Martinez, famously one of the commission’s most pugnacious members, decided to share a response.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
15 Sep. 2025
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These involve stand-up comedians, pugnacious composers, and whether or not Paula Pell will get her moment in the spotlight.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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In a world on fire, artists sometimes choose language that sounds confrontational or violent.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Sep. 2025
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Honest communication can reduce emotional charge and make planning feel collaborative rather than confrontational.—
Bruce Helmer,
Twin Cities,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Nothing about Francis Lawrence’s take-no-prisoners adaptation of Richard Bachman’s (aka Stephen King) staggering novel offers one shard of hope for any of us to wrap our bloodied fingers around.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
12 Sep. 2025
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The fact that any remaining mutual admiration is fueled by mutual animosity is thus introduced right up front, and the movie wastes zero time setting out the rules of engagement for what will soon become take-no-prisoners warfare between the Roses.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Medvedev, a former president of Russia and an ally of incumbent President Vladimir Putin, has been known to make belligerent comments against the West, which have likely been approved by the Kremlin.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Sep. 2025
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This Mary is horny, drunk, and completely belligerent about her dream of being a cabaret star.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Still, these sections lack the blood-and-guts tension of her interactions with her mother.—
Madeline Leung Coleman,
Vulture,
27 Aug. 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Bare-knuckle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bare-knuckle. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
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