bare-knuckle

or bare-knuck·led

[ bair-nuhk-uhl ]

adjective

1. (of a boxer) wearing no boxing gloves:

   These are bare-knuckle kids who need to learn a higher level of boxing.

2. (of a boxing match or other fight) without gloves:

   a bare-knuckle brawl.

3. without regard for rules or niceties; rough-and-tumble:

   a bare-knuckle approach to judicial reform.

adverb

1. without boxing gloves:

   He’s a scrappy guy who likes to fight bare-knuckle.

2. in a manner that bypasses rules and niceties:

   If we have to take on these land developers bare-knuckle, we will.

bare-knuckle

adjective

1. without boxing gloves

   a bare-knuckle fight

2. aggressive and without reservations

   a bare-knuckle confrontation

Word History and Origins

Origin of bare-knuckle¹

First recorded in 1880–85; bare ¹ + knuckle

Example Sentences

With one month to election day, the contest between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris is the electoral equivalent of a bare-knuckle brawl.

From BBC

Alatorre was nevertheless able to distinguish himself fast with his bare-knuckle style.

From Los Angeles Times

Perry, 32, left the UFC in 2021 and has become one of the most recognisable faces in the emerging bare-knuckle fighting scene in the US.

From BBC

But the violence has also quickly filtered into the bare-knuckle partisan trench-warfare that has characterised American politics in recent decades.

From BBC

The resounding vote delivered Mr. McConnell yet another hard-fought legislative win in a long career of bare-knuckle victories, bitter losses and partisan maneuvering.

From New York Times