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

• 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

When pruning shrubs and trees, do your best to keep healthy trimmings in your yard as a valuable carbon resource. —Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Oct. 2025

Weeds, garden trimmings and small branches are among the soft yard materials allowed in the service. —Bridget Fogarty, jsonline.com, 23 Oct. 2025

Much of what is imported is lean beef trimmings that meatpackers mix with fattier beef produced in the United States to produce the varieties of ground beef that domestic consumers want, so any change in imports would affect primarily hamburger. —Dave Smith, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2025

Dearly departed chef Jack Riebel’s recipe — house-ground steak trimmings to create a simple, beefy, juicy, stupid delicious burger that really does taste like steak — is still going strong. —Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 22 Oct. 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