skin and bones
idiom
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
Recent Examples on the Web
The phrase ‘skin and bones’ doesn’t do justice to the way her body has been ravaged.
—
Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 30 July 2025
Additionally, canned salmon often comes in a more natural, whole-food form (skin and bones included in some cases), which can contribute trace nutrients like calcium.
—Lauren Manaker Ms, Health, 22 July 2025
In other cancer models, including brain, skin and bone, the drug was even able to wipe out tumors without the assistance of any other treatment.
—New Atlas, 18 July 2025
Eating chicken used to mean getting whole chickens, skin and bones and all.
—Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for skin and bones
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Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 30 July 2025
Additionally, canned salmon often comes in a more natural, whole-food form (skin and bones included in some cases), which can contribute trace nutrients like calcium.
—Lauren Manaker Ms, Health, 22 July 2025
In other cancer models, including brain, skin and bone, the drug was even able to wipe out tumors without the assistance of any other treatment.
—New Atlas, 18 July 2025
Eating chicken used to mean getting whole chickens, skin and bones and all.
—Sarah Zhang, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2025
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 30 Sep. 2025.
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