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
Then stand or sit while bending forward at the waist, pinching the soft part of the nose below the bony portion on both sides for 10 minutes.
—
Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Jan. 2023
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
There are two types of fish, cartilaginous and bony.
—Orlando Mayorquin, USA TODAY, 21 Oct. 2022
See All Example Sentences for bony
Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Jan. 2023
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
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
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The researchers overcame traditional size limitations by embedding thin but powerful actuators that respond to heat and pressure.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Oct. 2025
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France’s government survived a no-confidence vote in Parliament on Thursday by a thin margin, giving the country a brief respite from intense political turmoil before what is expected to be another brutal battle over its budget.—
Aurelien Breeden,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Where homes, buildings and fields once stood in the southern city of Rafah, there were now craters and barren wastelands.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
8 Oct. 2025
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Those who reached Spain were offered a place to rebuild their lives — on a small, barren island.—
Miquel Ros,
CNN Money,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The slender aspens unfurl golden banners against the dark wall of evergreens.—
Roger Naylor,
AZCentral.com,
10 Oct. 2025
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The shoes featured a scalloped toe box in a pale pink hue, offset by gold slingback straps and slender matching heels.—
Maggie Clancy,
Footwear News,
8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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To find the killer, Sherlock Holmes and Watson will have to brave desolate moors before a family curse dooms the newest heirs.—
Meredith G. White,
AZCentral.com,
1 Oct. 2025
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With its primary tenant away, the pro stadium here in central Japan was desolate outside.—
Brad Lefton,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Fashionistas have been swapping their skinny jeans for this roomier, more relaxed fit, but even the most trend-savvy shoppers are still hesitant to try the polarizing silhouette for themselves.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
17 Oct. 2025
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The large stout trees with thick gnarling branches of a few decades ago are now flimsy bushes skinnier than hydrangeas that stand under 10 feet tall and need to be propped up with wood and steel trellises.—
Karl Schneider,
IndyStar,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Porter has been a lead creator before, but that was on cellar-dwelling Houston Rockets squads that became a breeding ground for poor habits.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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Young people want better governance and are fed up with suffering from poor services and economies while their leaders get rich around them and inequality grows.—
Elizabeth Shackelford,
Twin Cities,
16 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Much of this momentum traces back to China’s DeepSeek, whose lean, low-cost models upended industry assumptions at the beginning of this year and kicked off a race to make AI smaller, faster, and smarter.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
15 Oct. 2025
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Atkins, who joined Dhar Mann Studios in 2024 and previously headed MTV as well as worked as chief digital officer at Discovery, said the banner has also thrived by having lean operations.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Meta’s entry-level roles are a welcome addition to a bleak Gen Z job market.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
17 Oct. 2025
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Things looked bleak when the Mariners took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, but eventually, the Jays came roaring back.—
Jackson Roberts,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bony.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bony. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
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