: 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

bare bones

2 of 2

plural noun

: the barest essentials, facts, or elements
the bare bones of her life

Examples of bare-bones in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
Low-cost carriers have struggled to attract customers of late, as fliers increasingly turn to premium travel offerings, and even legacy carriers introduce new, bare-bones ticket options to compete for budget-conscious customers. Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 17 Dec. 2024 Homeowners in those areas have been flocking to the FAIR Plan, the state’s insurer of last resort, which sells bare-bones policies. Laurence Darmiento, Los Angeles Times, 16 Dec. 2024
Plural noun
First, strip down the Blueprint to bare bones and start over. Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 3 Dec. 2024 The move comes as budget airlines face increasing competition from legacy carriers, which are edging them out of some airports with their own low-cost fares for a bare bones plane ticket. Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 19 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for bare-bones 

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1868, in the meaning defined above

Plural Noun

1647, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bare-bones was in 1647

Dictionary Entries Near bare-bones

bareboat

bare-bones

bare bones

Cite this Entry

“Bare-bones.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bare-bones. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.

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