1
as in flipping
to turn over pages in an idle or cursory manner
I'll just skim through a few styling magazines and see if something interesting catches my eye
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in flowing
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 brushing
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
as in bouncing
to strike and fly off at an angle
the rock just skimmed the surface of the water
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in glancing
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of skimming
These skinny jeans are a close lookalike for Stewart’s with a mid-blue wash and ankle-skimming silhouette.
—
Jamie Allison Sanders, PEOPLE, 11 May 2026
Facing charges in connection with the skimming device found in December 2024 are Remus Rosu, 30, and Louisa Unguru, 25.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 6 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
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 skimming
Jamie Allison Sanders, PEOPLE, 11 May 2026
Facing charges in connection with the skimming device found in December 2024 are Remus Rosu, 30, and Louisa Unguru, 25.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 6 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
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 skimming
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skimming
Verb
-
Marte, a three-time All-Star, just put a better swing on the pitch before emphatically flipping his bat.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
20 May 2026
-
Nvidia is currently flipping that script.—
Michael Khouw,
CNBC,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
The amphitheater’s Morton Salt birthright has creative juices flowing.—
Lisa Gutierrez
May 19,
Kansas City Star,
19 May 2026
-
More than 85% of the oil and natural gas flowing through the Strait of Hormuz goes to Asia, and many nations there have had to issue emergency energy rationing mandates.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
New York — American shoppers are brushing off higher gas prices and finally spending money at Target again.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN Money,
20 May 2026
-
The Bruins would benefit from brushing Joonas Korpisalo’s $3 million average annual value off their books.—
Fluto Shinzawa,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
No pattern enacted on these buttons will safely land a four-hundred-ton jetliner, flaring and bouncing and settling heavily onto its twenty-two wheels while the spoilers on the wings snap up and the jets scream in reverse and the passengers sigh in relief.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
-
The Plough & The Stars is the Irish bar in Philadelphia which hosts the Plough Boys Celtic Supporters Club on matchdays, the fans bouncing deliriously to Gaelic music when Martin O’Neill’s team beat Rangers 3-1 last Sunday to keep their title bid alive.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Illustrations by Thomas Merceron Even glancing contact between a passenger car and a semi truck is often enough to send the smaller vehicle pinwheeling across the highway.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
The pup can be seen glancing around his kennel with teary eyes, appearing scared and confused.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
After cruising to a 12-5 record with an NFC Championship Game appearance in 2024, the Commanders fell apart, physically and otherwise, in 2025.—
Nicki Jhabvala,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
-
Sheehan was cruising along in the fifth inning, having allowed just one hit – a bloop single – in the first four.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
On May 12, Colbert sat down with Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Pedro Pascal and wound up kissing both of them on the lips to the delight of his studio audience.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
-
In another shot, Brittany shared a boomerang of Patrick kissing her on the cheek.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
Next season will see Ten Hag skipping touchline management altogether, taking up a new role as sporting director of his boyhood club back in the Netherlands, FC Twente.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
17 May 2026
-
The most common issue from skipping routine fan maintenance is dust buildup.—
Louise Parks,
Martha Stewart,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Skimming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skimming. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
