trimming

noun

trim·​ming ˈtri-miŋ 

1

a

: an additional garnishing

turkey and all the trimmings

b

: a decorative accessory or additional item

trimmings for a hat

c

: the remnants of something that has been trimmed : clipping

tree/grass/hedge trimmings

2

: defeat, beating

3

: the act of one who trims

Synonyms

• beating
• defeat
• drubbing
• licking
• loss
• lump
• overthrow
• plastering
• rout
• shellacking
• trouncing
• whipping

Examples of trimming in a Sentence

our football team suffered a pretty severe trimming

Recent Examples on the Web

That’s more aggressive trimming than the committee did last May. —Calmatters, Mercury News, 27 May 2025

The pet food industry, reliant on salmon oil and trimmings, is also vulnerable to volatility. —Felicia Jackson, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025

Composting helps transform those scraps—along with inedible trimmings like eggshells and apple cores—back into valuable nutrients. —Jen Rose Smith, AFAR Media, 27 May 2025

In response, many companies have turned to fish trimmings—by-products from fish processing—as an alternative. —Felicia Jackson, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1525, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for trimming

• brimming
• dimming
• miming
• rimming
• skimming
• slimming
• swimming

Kids Definition

trimming

noun

trim·​ming

ˈtrim-iŋ

1

: the action of one that trims

2

: a severe defeat or beating

3

: something that trims, ornaments, or completes

trimmings for a hat

turkey with all the trimmings