: 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 WebLeslie Josephs, CNBC, 26 Sep. 2024
Instead, Leon used the original 87-page script as a compass, taking advantage of its famously bare-bones set to create his own version of Grover’s Corner.
—Anna Tingley, Variety, 20 Sep. 2024
Zak Doffman, Forbes, 21 Sep. 2024
Juno was made entirely in COVID in home studios with not very much equipment, very bare bones.
—Jack Irvin, Peoplemag, 12 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for bare-bones 
Adjective
Over the last decade, U.S. competitors have added bare-bones basic economy fares and started charging for things that used to come for free, like seating assignments.
—Leslie Josephs, CNBC, 26 Sep. 2024
Instead, Leon used the original 87-page script as a compass, taking advantage of its famously bare-bones set to create his own version of Grover’s Corner.
—Anna Tingley, Variety, 20 Sep. 2024
Plural noun
And its iOS 18 release—despite the fun of better images and typing indicators—all feels very bare bones.
—Zak Doffman, Forbes, 21 Sep. 2024
Juno was made entirely in COVID in home studios with not very much equipment, very bare bones.
—Jack Irvin, Peoplemag, 12 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for bare-bones
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bare-bones.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near bare-bones
Cite this Entry
“Bare-bones.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bare-bones. Accessed 2 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share