the bare bones

plural noun

: the most basic or important elements or parts of something
The company reduced the staff to the bare bones.
—often + of
What are the bare bones of the story?

Examples of the bare bones in a Sentence

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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.
Palace’s squad is down to the bare bones. — Mark Carey, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2026 There’s usually a pretty steep price difference between the bare bones and the luxe stuff but Quince has bridged that gap. — Tamim Alnuweiri, InStyle, 28 May 2026 Entire architectural structures were pulled apart and removed from the home, leaving only the bare bones of the once-singular palace. — Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 18 Sep. 2025 The tariff letters were similar to the bare bones outline of a trade agreement with Vietnam, disclosed last Wednesday. — Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 8 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for the bare bones

Rhymes for the bare bones

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Browse Nearby Words

the bar
the bare bones
the baroque
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Cite this Entry

“The bare bones.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20bare%20bones. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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