Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- adjective Having no limits, regulations, or restraints.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adjective Alternative spelling of
no holds barred .
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
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Examples
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Originally called no-holds-barred fighting, variations of MMA date back to at least the late 1800s.
CNN.com 2011
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But it could just as easily refer to the no-holds-barred battles we are watching in Libya and Syria.
NYT > Home Page By CHRYSTIA FREELAND | REUTERS 2011
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Strangely, in terms of business, Tatum is not driven by a desire for great profit, which like many journalists, might disqualify her and them from the bruising, no-holds-barred world of free-market enterprise.
Robert Schwab: Media Salad: Tossed Into Business Robert Schwab 2011
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We revelled in the brawling activity of Camaron-Sabalo, the tourist district's frenetic four lane main street which bursts gaily into this north end of Mazatlan from the El Centro area, and from an equally boisterous Avenue Rafael Buelna, the no-holds-barred thoroughfare bleeding traffic from the main highway to Guadalajara.
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Aggressive, no-holds-barred lobbying from some big Wall Street players combined with intense campaigns launched by special interest groups with massive budgets for one purpose: to stop the creation of the consumer bureau.
Warren slams opponents of new consumer bureau for trying to 'chip away at its independence' Ariana Eunjung Cha 2011
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Strangely, in terms of business, Tatum is not driven by a desire for great profit, which like many journalists, might disqualify her and them from the bruising, no-holds-barred world of free-market enterprise.
Robert Schwab: Media Salad: Tossed Into Business Robert Schwab 2011
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This turned out to be the author of The Skinback Fusiliers, a no-holds-barred exposé.
Hugh Muir's Diary 2011
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So why not turn Adrianna into a full-on, no-holds-barred, Brenda Walsh-caliber Cruella de Hills?
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Nothing beats Las Vegas for a no-holds-barred girlfriend getaway celebration.
Dr. Irene S. Levine: Q& A With Valerie Rains, Editor of Budget Travel's Girlfriend Getaways Dr. Irene S. Levine 2011
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Clegg launched a no-holds-barred attack on Labour in Sheffield – where he is MP for the Hallam constituency – accusing the party of "the worst kind of bullying, carping, sneering, infantile politics, straight out of the playground".
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