skipped; skipping
1
a
: to move or proceed with leaps and bounds or with a skip
b
: to bound off one point after another : ricochet
2
: to leave hurriedly or secretly
skipped out without paying their bill
3
a
: to pass over or omit an interval, item, or step
b
: to omit a grade in school in advancing to the next
c
1
a
: to pass over without notice or mention : omit
skipped her name
b
: to pass by or leave out (a step in a progression or series)
2
a
: to cause to skip (a grade in school)
b
: to cause to bound or skim over a surface
skip a stone across a pond
3
: to leap over lightly and nimbly
4
a
: to depart from quickly and secretly
skipped town
b
: to fail to attend or participate in
skip the tournament
1
a
: a light bounding step
b
: a gait composed of alternating hops and steps
2
: an act of omission or the thing omitted
1
: the captain of a side in a game (such as curling or lawn bowling) who advises the team as to the play and controls the action
2
Synonyms
Examples of skip in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Chris Willman, Variety, 17 Nov. 2023
From picking up strangers on the subway to picking them off with a silenced rifle, through a hotel window, is just a hop and a skip.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 27 Oct. 2023
Kid is a candidate for the rite of passage, confronts vapid Jewish education, overemphasis on the celebration, clueless parents, etc.; skips town, goes to Israel on a Jewish spiritual quest, has adventures, encounters various teachers and role models, comes back with a new sense of Jewish identity.
—The Salt Lake Tribune, 7 Sep. 2023
As an art-house in-joke, the title of Williams’ new sort-of-documentary, sort-of-funhouse-mirror-maze skips straight to threequel status.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 22 Sep. 2023
Go back to both feet for 9 skips, then right and left for 9 each.
—Men's Health, 2 May 2023
Enter the peninsula’s photogenic beaches, all just a hop and a skip from town.
—Lauren Breedlove, Travel + Leisure, 30 Sep. 2023
Markets are pricing a skip next week and 40% odds of a hike in November.
—WSJ, 13 Sep. 2023
Earlier this month, the record-keeping organization revealed that Kit Kat — a 13-year-old tabby — set the world record for most skips by a cat in one minute.
—Nicholas Rice, Peoplemag, 26 Aug. 2023
Christopher Cameron, Robb Report, 28 Nov. 2023
Travelers looking to get closer to nature in St. John can skip the luxe villa for an experience only steps from the waves and under the stars.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 27 Nov. 2023
When budget or storage space is an issue, some families may prefer to skip the balance bike altogether in favor of other learn-to-ride options like training wheels, or even simply removing pedals from a regular bike.
—Alesandra Dubin, Parents, 25 Nov. 2023
Hurtado Andrade doesn’t recommend skipping a dose, while Hatipoglu said there should be no issues if someone wanted to forgo a week.
—Julia Landwehr, Health, 23 Nov. 2023
So why has Japan skipped the skyscraper arms race seen in countries like China, Malaysia and the UAE?
—Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 23 Nov. 2023
Since the pandemic, the number of kids regularly skipping school has skyrocketed, from 8.2 million in 2019 to 14.7 million in the 2021-2022 school year, according to U.S. Dept. of Education data.
—Byron Pitts, ABC News, 16 Nov. 2023
Since running backs Christian McCaffrey and Leonard Fournette started the trend of high NFL draft picks skipping postseason games in 2016, only two first-round quarterbacks have opted out of their bowl games, both in the last two seasons.
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 2023
Trump is expected to skip the event, the second time he's been absent from an event hosted by Vander Plaats.
—Aaron Navarro, CBS News, 16 Nov. 2023
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Noun
The whole album is very strong, with no skips… including the deluxe edition with additional tracks adding up to 16, all told.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 17 Nov. 2023
From picking up strangers on the subway to picking them off with a silenced rifle, through a hotel window, is just a hop and a skip.
—Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 27 Oct. 2023
Kid is a candidate for the rite of passage, confronts vapid Jewish education, overemphasis on the celebration, clueless parents, etc.; skips town, goes to Israel on a Jewish spiritual quest, has adventures, encounters various teachers and role models, comes back with a new sense of Jewish identity.
—The Salt Lake Tribune, 7 Sep. 2023
As an art-house in-joke, the title of Williams’ new sort-of-documentary, sort-of-funhouse-mirror-maze skips straight to threequel status.
—J. Kim Murphy, Variety, 22 Sep. 2023
Go back to both feet for 9 skips, then right and left for 9 each.
—Men's Health, 2 May 2023
Enter the peninsula’s photogenic beaches, all just a hop and a skip from town.
—Lauren Breedlove, Travel + Leisure, 30 Sep. 2023
Markets are pricing a skip next week and 40% odds of a hike in November.
—WSJ, 13 Sep. 2023
Earlier this month, the record-keeping organization revealed that Kit Kat — a 13-year-old tabby — set the world record for most skips by a cat in one minute.
—Nicholas Rice, Peoplemag, 26 Aug. 2023
Verb
That doesn’t mean white-glove service in a five-star hotel isn’t your reward—but to create an extraordinary journey, Gordon recommends skipping the Marriott and booking hotels that offer something authentic.
—Christopher Cameron, Robb Report, 28 Nov. 2023
Travelers looking to get closer to nature in St. John can skip the luxe villa for an experience only steps from the waves and under the stars.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 27 Nov. 2023
When budget or storage space is an issue, some families may prefer to skip the balance bike altogether in favor of other learn-to-ride options like training wheels, or even simply removing pedals from a regular bike.
—Alesandra Dubin, Parents, 25 Nov. 2023
Hurtado Andrade doesn’t recommend skipping a dose, while Hatipoglu said there should be no issues if someone wanted to forgo a week.
—Julia Landwehr, Health, 23 Nov. 2023
So why has Japan skipped the skyscraper arms race seen in countries like China, Malaysia and the UAE?
—Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 23 Nov. 2023
Since the pandemic, the number of kids regularly skipping school has skyrocketed, from 8.2 million in 2019 to 14.7 million in the 2021-2022 school year, according to U.S. Dept. of Education data.
—Byron Pitts, ABC News, 16 Nov. 2023
Since running backs Christian McCaffrey and Leonard Fournette started the trend of high NFL draft picks skipping postseason games in 2016, only two first-round quarterbacks have opted out of their bowl games, both in the last two seasons.
—Thuc Nhi Nguyen, Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 2023
Trump is expected to skip the event, the second time he's been absent from an event hosted by Vander Plaats.
—Aaron Navarro, CBS News, 16 Nov. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'skip.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Verb (1)
Middle English skippen, perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Swedish dialect skopa to hop
Noun (2)
short for skipper entry 2
First Known Use
Verb (1)
14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a
Noun (1)
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Noun (2)
1830, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb (2)
1900, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of skip was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing skip
Dictionary Entries Near skip
Cite this Entry
“Skip.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/skip. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
skip
1 of 2 verb
skipped; skipping
1
a
: to move or proceed with leaps and bounds
b
: to bounce or cause to bounce off one point after another
skipping stones
c
: to leap over lightly
2
: to leave hurriedly or secretly
skip town
3
a
: to pass over or leave out (as a section, item, or step)
skipped the dull parts of the book
b
: to promote or cause to be promoted to a grade higher than the next grade in school
c
: to fail to attend
skipped the meeting
skip
2 of 2 noun1
a
: a light bouncing step
b
: a manner of moving by alternating hops and steps
2
: a failure to do something
also
: something not done
More from Merriam-Webster on skip
Nglish: Translation of skip for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of skip for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about skip
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