as in gaunt
suffering extreme weight loss as a result of hunger or disease
the stray kitten's skeletal body was pitiful to look at
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of skeletal
To figure out why, an international team investigated the proteins lurking inside of the skeletal remains.
—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
24 June 2026
Then, in 2022, archaeologists from the University of South Carolina uncovered his skeletal remains and submitted them for DNA analysis in hopes of discovering his identity.
—
Scott Neuman,
NPR,
23 June 2026
But over the past two decades, new research has emerged that is changing how scientists and physicians think about skeletal health.
—
Priya Bhardwaj,
The Conversation,
22 June 2026
Because kids aren’t fully grown yet, their skeletal systems require surgeries tailored to each child’s specific growth and developmental stages, meaning a 15-year-old won’t receive the same kind of knee reconstruction surgery as a 60-year-old — or even as a 12-year-old.
—
Jp Shaffer,
Miami Herald,
22 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for skeletal
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
24 June 2026
Then, in 2022, archaeologists from the University of South Carolina uncovered his skeletal remains and submitted them for DNA analysis in hopes of discovering his identity.
—
Scott Neuman,
NPR,
23 June 2026
But over the past two decades, new research has emerged that is changing how scientists and physicians think about skeletal health.
—
Priya Bhardwaj,
The Conversation,
22 June 2026
Because kids aren’t fully grown yet, their skeletal systems require surgeries tailored to each child’s specific growth and developmental stages, meaning a 15-year-old won’t receive the same kind of knee reconstruction surgery as a 60-year-old — or even as a 12-year-old.
—
Jp Shaffer,
Miami Herald,
22 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for skeletal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skeletal
Adjective
-
The church’s punishment, however, delivered in front of the congregants, is an eerie ritual performed by a gaunt, severe visitor (Nicholas Hope).
-
Brig is in the Upper Valais, a gaunt and conservative place where the inhabitants speak Walliser German, an Alpine dialect that many Swiss people find unintelligible.
Adjective
-
Rocking back and forth nervously during a television appearance, a haggard-looking Diaz-Canel acknowledged the same talks, which his government had denied were taking place just days before.
-
Wrexham, meanwhile, was near the bottom, struggling in England’s lowest division under a haggard fan-ownership group keeping it on life support.
Cite this Entry
“Skeletal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skeletal. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
