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
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Recent Examples of skeletal
Later archeological research, including forensic examination of skeletal remains, has turned up no evidence for cannibalism or for a particularly bellicose society on Rapa Nui.
—
Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
Their conclusions come from comparing present-day kangaroo skeletal anatomy with the fossils of their marsupial cousins.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 22 Jan. 2026
Expecting this skeletal crew to canvas markets and close complex deals is unrealistic.
—Daniele Nyirandutiye, semafor.com, 19 Jan. 2026
In November 2006, skeletal remains washed ashore in Taholah, an unincorporated village on the Quinault Indian Reservation in Grays Harbor County, Washington, the coroner's office said.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for skeletal
Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
Their conclusions come from comparing present-day kangaroo skeletal anatomy with the fossils of their marsupial cousins.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 22 Jan. 2026
Expecting this skeletal crew to canvas markets and close complex deals is unrealistic.
—Daniele Nyirandutiye, semafor.com, 19 Jan. 2026
In November 2006, skeletal remains washed ashore in Taholah, an unincorporated village on the Quinault Indian Reservation in Grays Harbor County, Washington, the coroner's office said.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for skeletal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skeletal
Adjective
-
Nitibhon, a Thai supermodel, plays her tycoon as comically drab, keeping her gaunt cheeks slack to emphasize her character’s hollowness.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Regina was standing by the window now, looking even more gaunt under the artificial light of the bulb behind her and the faint glow of the sunrise in front, which barely managed to filter through the balcony awning.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
No one’s going to want to watch a haggard perimenopausal woman who’s badly lit.—
Mikey O'Connell,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Jan. 2026
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Now, the film is a downright classic, centering on three haggard witches (Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy) who go on a hilarious misadventure while trying to remain young forever.—
Keith Langston,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Skeletal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skeletal. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
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