Definition of "no-holds-barred" [no-holds-barred]

• Informal Open and unrestrained: "These paintings and charcoal drawings . . . are slightly tame compared with the no-holds-barred forcefulness of his self-generated vision” ( Christopher Andreae). (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "But it could just as easily refer to the no-holds-barred battles we are watching in Libya and Syria."
• "Originally called no-holds-barred fighting, variations of MMA date back to at least the late 1800s."
• "Nothing beats Las Vegas for a no-holds-barred girlfriend getaway celebration."