skin and bones
phrase
variants
or skin and bone
informal
: very thin in a way that is unattractive and unhealthy
After the illness, he was skin and bones.
The starving dog was nothing but skin and bones.
Examples of skin and bones in a Sentence
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While the cells failed to differentiate into new skin and bone, the change demonstrated that the regenerating process didn’t necessarily hit a dead end in mammals.
—
Mike McRae 28,
New Atlas,
28 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for skin and bones
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Mike McRae 28,
New Atlas,
28 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for skin and bones
Cite this Entry
“Skin and bones.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/skin%20and%20bones. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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