bare-knuckle

adjective

variants also bare-knuckled or bare-knuckles
Definition of bare-knucklenext
as in gladiatorial

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bare-knuckle
  1. in-your-face
  2. combative
  3. pugnacious
  4. take-no-prisoners
  5. belligerent
  6. blood-and-guts
  7. militant
  8. bellicose
Adjective
  • Burgundy offers just enough pop without being too in-your-face.
    Lane Nieset, Travel + Leisure, 19 Dec. 2024
  • Both were cozy and not in-your-face strong, in a good way.
    Shafaq Patel, Axios, 13 Dec. 2024
Definition of in-your-face
Adjective
  • The combative environment engendered a grim sort of gallows humor.
    Jason Parham, WIRED, 13 Dec. 2024
  • Orlando’s power provider plans to vote Tuesday on revamping its billing structure, changing incentives for when and how customers consume power, which has fueled a combative controversy over what’s best for local solar energy and electricity users.
    Kevin Spear, Orlando Sentinel, 9 Dec. 2024
Definition of combative
Adjective
  • Two of the league’s best pure scorers and most pugnacious alpha dogs go at it Wednesday, with each trying more than 10 3-pointers a game this season.
    Steven Louis Goldstein, The Athletic, 25 Dec. 2024
  • But his presence has hollowed out the party, with its gap between a pugnacious grassroots and a lonely elite.
    Selim Koru, Foreign Affairs, 28 June 2016
Definition of pugnacious
Adjective
  • The Lions are the most complete team in the league, a byproduct of their fearless coach’s take-no-prisoners mantra.
    Zak Keefer, The Athletic, 25 Nov. 2024
  • If there is any justice, and the election results could factor into this, Sebastian Stan, perfection as the younger Trump, and a terrific Jeremy Strong as his take-no-prisoners lawyer and mentor Roy Cohn both deserve Oscar consideration.
    Pete Hammond, Deadline, 20 Sep. 2024
Definition of take-no-prisoners
Adjective
  • Pollard allegedly refused to identify himself to police and acted belligerent and uncooperative, the affidavit stated.
    Andrea Klick, Orange County Register, 5 Dec. 2024
  • That will be especially important because China in recent years has strengthened ties with a belligerent Algiers.
    Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024
Definition of belligerent
Adjective
  • That realization elevates the film’s campy blood-and-guts from gore to gut-punch.
    Gráinne O'Hara Belluomo, WWD, 1 Dec. 2024
  • 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
Definition of blood-and-guts
Adjective
  • Iran continues to play a key role in regional conflicts, supporting militant groups including Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, further complicating its diplomatic relations.
    Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
  • However, the militant group cautioned that hurdles remain.
    Sophie Tanno, CNN, 19 Dec. 2024
Definition of militant
Adjective
  • But the implosion of Assad’s regime could potentially weaken Putin’s hand in negotiations over ending the war in Ukraine, particularly if Putin’s bellicose threats in recent weeks of nuclear escalation are perceived as hollow.
    Nathan Hodge, CNN, 9 Dec. 2024
  • And North Korea’s increasingly bellicose attitude toward its neighbors has roiled China’s diplomatic and economic relations with South Korea and Japan.
    Stephen Hadley, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2024
Definition of bellicose
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Thesaurus Entries Near bare-knuckle

barefaced

bare-knuckle

barely

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Bare-knuckle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bare-knuckle. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

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