Bare-knuckle


(of a prizefight, prizefighter, etc.) without boxing gloves; using the bare fists.
without conventional niceties; rough-and-tumble.
without boxing gloves.
in a rough-and-tumble manner.
Contemporary Examples

After the bare-knuckle brawl Ben Quayle has faced, however, his brother may think twice about following his lead.
Ready for Another Quayle? Benjamin Sarlin August 12, 2010

The Spy Who Came In from the Cold, my third book, changed my life and put me on bare-knuckle terms with my abilities.
The Stacks: How The Berlin Wall Inspired John le Carré’s First Masterpiece John le Carré November 7, 2014

How could it be that this word, and not “what” or “why,” has caused a bare-knuckle brawl at such a stratospheric social level?
How One Lawsuit Shows What’s Wrong With America James Poulos October 19, 2014

adjective
without boxing gloves: a bare-knuckle fight
aggressive and without reservations: a bare-knuckle confrontation

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