The meaning of NO-HOLDS-BARRED is free of restrictions or hampering conventions. How to use no-holds-barred in a sentence.
Now you’re equipped with a solid understanding of “no holds barred”—its meaning, origin, varied uses, and how to make the most impact with it. Remember, whether describing a fierce sports match or a candid conversation, this phrase paints a vivid picture of raw, unrestrained action.
If you say that there are no holds barred when people are fighting or competing for something, you mean that they are no longer following any rules in their efforts to win.
A political rally connected with the upcoming mayoral campaign, has erupted into a no-holds-barred, knock-down, drag-out brawl, which the sheriff will not stop.
Without any restrictions, as in Telephone companies are entering the market for Internet users with no holds barred. This expression comes from wrestling, where certain holds are illegal, or barred, and has been used figuratively since about 1940.
No holds barred means no rules or restrictions are being used in a particular situation or competition. It’s an idiom that, like a wrestler with an endless bag of tricks, gets its origins from the world of professional wrestling.
The phrase no holds barred means that there are no restrictions or limits on what can be done or said. It originates from the sport of wrestling, where certain holds or moves are sometimes prohibited.
NO HOLDS BARRED definition: Without any restrictions, as in Telephone companies are entering the market for Internet users with no holds barred. This expression comes from wrestling, where certain holds are illegal, or barred, and has been used figuratively since about 1940.