variants
also boney
1
as in thin
having a noticeably small amount of body fat
that bony old horse may have been deliberately starved
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in barren
producing inferior or only a small amount of vegetation
bony hills from which sheepherders eked out a meager existence
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of bony
Riders follow the instructions of Redbeard (given via onboard audio), which include finding and counting gems along the shore, looking out for bony opponents in Skeleton Valley and participating in a seaworthy singalong near the finale.
—
Dewayne Bevil, Orlando Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2023
Santiago Calatrava is best known for bridges that leap and budgets that soar, for vast and bony white-steel structures that evoke high-tech ruins of the future and cause fiscal ruin in the present.
—Curbed, 6 Dec. 2022
Its bony head armor was more like that of Asian ankyloaurs than ones from North America.
—Eric Betz, Discover Magazine, 19 July 2018
There are two types of fish, cartilaginous and bony.
—Orlando Mayorquin, USA TODAY, 21 Oct. 2022
See All Example Sentences for bony
Dewayne Bevil, Orlando Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2023
Santiago Calatrava is best known for bridges that leap and budgets that soar, for vast and bony white-steel structures that evoke high-tech ruins of the future and cause fiscal ruin in the present.
—Curbed, 6 Dec. 2022
Its bony head armor was more like that of Asian ankyloaurs than ones from North America.
—Eric Betz, Discover Magazine, 19 July 2018
There are two types of fish, cartilaginous and bony.
—Orlando Mayorquin, USA TODAY, 21 Oct. 2022
See All Example Sentences for bony
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bony
Adjective
-
Johansson’s sleeveless look featured thin straps and a sweetheart neckline with a formfitting silhouette and long, floor-length skirt.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
30 June 2025
-
Kim always keeps two thin liner brushes on hand when painting micro fruit: one with extra-long bristles (to create the outlines of your designs) and one with slightly shorter bristles (for adding tiny details).—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
30 June 2025
Adjective
-
Work and plans are changing what was once a barren landscape into a new neighborhood.—
Kenneth R. Gosselin,
Hartford Courant,
29 June 2025
-
As the moon progresses through the different phases of the lunar calendar, the sun's light throws new impact sites, barren plains, and swathes of broken landscapes into relief as prime targets for amateur astronomers wielding binoculars and backyard telescopes.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
21 June 2025
Adjective
-
Nolan Traoré, France An intriguing but very slender point guard, the 6-3 teenager should be a first-rounder.—
Tim Reynolds,
Los Angeles Times,
25 June 2025
-
Lively became mostly famous for, well, being Blake Lively: tall, slender, beautiful, and suspiciously perfect — a patron saint for the Instagram age.—
David Mack,
Rolling Stone,
10 June 2025
Adjective
-
For starters, no one would ever describe them as empty or desolate.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
27 June 2025
-
Of the 14 missiles, 13 were intercepted, with the final munition allowed to land harmlessly in a desolate area.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
24 June 2025
Adjective
-
Jamie has a big head, like a baby, and skinny limbs; his flashes of menace have the horror-movie quality of an evil doll.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
30 June 2025
-
As a departure from the era of plain skinny ties, Lauren's wide, colorful neckties broke the mold, and his company grew from there.—
Diane J. Cho,
People.com,
28 June 2025
Adjective
-
The key drivers are BGE’s soaring spending and profits and poor management by PJM Interconnection, the private entity that operates our electric grid.—
Emily Scarr,
Baltimore Sun,
29 June 2025
-
Despite having a poor 2024 season that saw the Pirates remove Bednar from the closer role, the right-hander is back to his dominant form.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 June 2025
Adjective
-
What’s rising in the aftermath is a new breed of giving that is leaner, faster, and built on the principles of decentralization, distribution, and data.—
Alexander Puutio,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
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Men with aviator glasses and handlebar moustaches, leather jackets, jeans, or flannel walk down the street, lean against storefronts and lampposts.—
Hazlitt,
Hazlitt,
25 June 2025
Adjective
-
During that bleak era, Che-Chung Tsai, a researcher at the University of Washington, contacted several companies, seeking experimental drugs for use in an animal study.—
Jon Cohen,
New Yorker,
24 June 2025
-
That said, Google’s latest survey paints a bleak picture.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bony.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bony. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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