1
2
as in to flow
to move or proceed smoothly and readily
a lone hang glider skimming along just above the treetops
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to brush
to pass lightly across or touch gently especially in passing
her hand just barely skimmed the wall as she ran down the hallway
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
5
as in to peek
to take a quick or hasty look
he impatiently skimmed through the book, looking for the specific passage he remembered seeing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of skim
Nicole Kidman Co-chair and Chanel ambassador Nicole Kidman wore a long-sleeve red paillette gown with a close fit through the torso and a straight skirt that skimmed the floor before pooling into a small train in the back.
—
Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 4 May 2026
Bodies were sighted, but fuel that could have been easily ignited and the natural terrain hampered rescue efforts to the point where even airboats were eventually prohibited from skimming the river of grass to help.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 21 Apr. 2026
The Second City helped launch a slew of now-famous faces like Stephen Colbert, John Belushi, Steve Carell, and Tina Fey; and that's just skimming the surface.
—Dana Kozlov, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026
Fans of adidas will love the brand's iconic three-stripe design featured heavily throughout, and newcomers who prefer a feminine touch might fall for some of the pieces in pastel colorways or the flowy, body-skimming styles.
—Kelsey Legg, ABC News, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for skim
Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 4 May 2026
Bodies were sighted, but fuel that could have been easily ignited and the natural terrain hampered rescue efforts to the point where even airboats were eventually prohibited from skimming the river of grass to help.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 21 Apr. 2026
The Second City helped launch a slew of now-famous faces like Stephen Colbert, John Belushi, Steve Carell, and Tina Fey; and that's just skimming the surface.
—Dana Kozlov, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026
Fans of adidas will love the brand's iconic three-stripe design featured heavily throughout, and newcomers who prefer a feminine touch might fall for some of the pieces in pastel colorways or the flowy, body-skimming styles.
—Kelsey Legg, ABC News, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for skim
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skim
Verb
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Finally, Mira chalked her hands, boosted herself onto a dangling metal hoop, flipped upside down, and hung from a single knee, arms spread out like a rotor.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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Once Wagner went down with a strained calf and missed the final three games, everything flipped.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 May 2026
Verb
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The Moon in Scorpio forms a flowing trine to Jupiter across your 9th House of Perspective, opening up a clearer, bigger-picture view.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
2 May 2026
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Newcastle is part of Tyneside, an area around the banks of the River Tyne that has been shaped by industry, a context that flows through A Great Day in Newcastle.—
Archie Forde,
Pitchfork,
1 May 2026
Verb
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When tetraploid and diploid plants are crossed, pollen from the diploids is brushed onto the stigmas of the tetraploids.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
7 May 2026
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Along one wall, swatches of fabric hang in dense, vertical layers—florals brushing against checks, brocades against stripes—forming a kind of working tapestry.—
Lilah Ramzi,
Vogue,
7 May 2026
Verb
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Junior third baseman Julianna Kouba bounced a two-run single through the right side of the infield in the top of the seventh to account for the winning margin for the North Stars.—
Rick Armstrong,
Chicago Tribune,
7 May 2026
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When Sassuolo suffered relegation in 2024, the club kept the team together and bounced straight back up under World Cup winner Fabio Grosso.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
Verb
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With the sun peeking through the clouds over the prairie, the animals leisurely roamed their enclosure, some grazing a few yards from the fence behind which curious members of the public looked on and snapped photos.—
Molly Morrow,
Chicago Tribune,
4 May 2026
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Just kind of peeking at the bullpen and getting warm when the starter’s pitch count goes up.—
Jaylon Thompson
May 2,
Kansas City Star,
2 May 2026
Verb
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But there’s an innate slickness to drone footage that can turn a shot of, say, a South Texas Starbucks into a joke, and there’s a mechanical quality to the way drones glide through the air that, even if controlled by a human, feels impersonal — a view from nowhere.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
1 May 2026
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Viking leans heavily into how guests experience The Hangar, Viking’s in-ship marina, where military-grade Special Operations Boats glide straight from the ship into the lake like a secret escape route.—
Malika Bowling,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Alisoun has previously tricked Absalom into kissing her butt by sticking it out the window just as Absalom leaned in, intent on kissing her other cheek.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 May 2026
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Berrios-Otero then allegedly kissed the child’s head, pulled him closer and put his hand back under the blanket, the warrant affidavits said.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
2 May 2026
Verb
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That’s not a directive to skip screening.—
Allison Palmer,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
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The shampoo relies on mild, sulfate-free cleansers and soothing ingredients like bisabolol and glycerin to cleanse without triggering dryness or sensitivity, while skipping fragrance entirely (a major win for reactive skin).—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Skim.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skim. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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