no-holds-barred

adjective

Definition of no-holds-barrednext
as in comprehensive
free from the usual limits or rules a no-holds-barred interview with the senator a no-holds-barred contest

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of no-holds-barred But the seething energy shared between the various women in the film reaches operatic fever pitch, Close going no-holds-barred with Day and a combative Mo’Nique as a semi-sympathetic social worker. — Nicholas Bell, SPIN, 4 Sep. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for no-holds-barred
  1. comprehensive
  2. thorough
  3. complete
Adjective
  • However, the database is far from comprehensive and represents about a fifth of Homeland Security's workforce, which staffs a little more than 220,000 people.
    — Vanessa Romo, NPR, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The others asserted vested development rights and reliance on county representations, leaving only the comprehensive plan challenge, which asserted that commissioners wrongly rejected housing that complied with the county’s growth policies.
    — Sarah Kinbar, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of comprehensive
Adjective
  • But their 20-3 loss to the Seahawks (4-3) was so thorough, unsightly and disillusioning as to render the 5-0 run-up to it entirely suspect — especially considering the Chiefs’ thorny schedule ahead.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Under the existing two-step process, competing teams must include thorough engineering and financial details as part of their proposals before NASA selects finalists for further study.
    — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of thorough
Adjective
  • Ethiopia’s coffee authority is compiling data, but the process is not complete.
    — Damian Zane, semafor.com, 26 Oct. 2026
  • In practice, that can look like AI pulling together updates from ticketing systems, documentation, source control and incident platforms to give teams a more complete view of progress and risk.
    — Joel Burleson-Davis, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of complete

Browse Nearby Words

no-goods
no-holds-barred
noise
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Cite this Entry

“No-holds-barred.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/no-holds-barred. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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