1. to reduce something to its basic framework or essential structure by removing flesh, details, or non-essential parts
Usage: British spelling; American spelling is ‘skeletonize’

Examples

• The desert heat will skeletonise the carcass within weeks.
• Budget cuts forced them to skeletonise the department.
• Time had skeletonised the old building, leaving only its steel frame.
• The editor decided to skeletonise the lengthy report.
• Acid rain began to skeletonise the ancient statue.
• The company plans to skeletonise its operations during the merger.