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 of trimming

• defeat
• beating
• loss
• whipping
• setback
• licking

Examples of trimming in a Sentence

our football team suffered a pretty severe trimming

Recent Examples on the Web

Organized by the curatorial fellow Yifu Liu, the show has trimmings in just about every frame. —Emilia Petrarca, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026

The trimming of the sails comes amid a particularly rocky run for Bad Robot, with several ambitious projects featuring high-wattage talent getting a hard pass or stuck in development hell. —Joe Otterson, Variety, 8 Apr. 2026

The Club on Monday took advantage of the latest win streak to do some trimming, booking some profits in Goldman Sachs after two separate buys during its mid-March pullback. —Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 7 Apr. 2026

Instead, focus will turn to projects like tree trimming and brush work. —Chilekasi Adele, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2026

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