She was held in a «safe room», which amounted to a padded cell with a tiny, bare patch of outdoor space. (blog.politics.ox.ac.uk)
The opposition benches are fairly full but the government's MPs are showing bare patches in places; and not just on their heads, it should be noted. (politics.co.uk)
Elsewhere, the ground was hard and dry, and there were bare patches between plants. (discovermagazine.com)