Descriptive:
* The long illness left her gaunt and pale.
* The gaunt figure of the starving man haunted his dreams.
* The castle stood tall and proud, but its walls were gaunt and crumbling.
Figurative:
* The gaunt branches of the old tree reached up towards the sky, like skeletal fingers.
* The city's skyline was gaunt and unforgiving, a testament to the harsh realities of urban life.
* The gaunt landscape stretched out before them, a vast and desolate wasteland.
In context:
* "He's gotten so gaunt since he lost his job," she said with a worried frown.
* The gaunt face of the old man held a wisdom born of experience and suffering.
Remember that the context of the sentence will determine the specific meaning of "gaunt."