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
The company’s smaller New Shepard rockets soar from Texas, skimming space for a few minutes with tourists and science experiments.
—
Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
Instead of skimming a phrasebook in a hotel lobby, students split their days between classroom instruction and real-world practice in markets, kitchens and cafés, often staying with host families who become part of the experience.
—Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 May 2026
New photos posted online show more details of China’s experimental sea-skimming aircraft, the ‘Bohai Sea Monster’.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 25 May 2026
Protect Yourself from Fraud Before using unfamiliar gas pumps, ATMs, or payment terminals, look for skimming devices scammers use to steal card information.
—Lori Smith, Kansas City Star, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for skimming
Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2026
Instead of skimming a phrasebook in a hotel lobby, students split their days between classroom instruction and real-world practice in markets, kitchens and cafés, often staying with host families who become part of the experience.
—Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 May 2026
New photos posted online show more details of China’s experimental sea-skimming aircraft, the ‘Bohai Sea Monster’.
—Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 25 May 2026
Protect Yourself from Fraud Before using unfamiliar gas pumps, ATMs, or payment terminals, look for skimming devices scammers use to steal card information.
—Lori Smith, Kansas City Star, 14 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for skimming
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skimming
Verb
-
The best Survivor 50 moment has to be Devens in his pure boyhood joy flipping MrBeast's coin.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 June 2026
-
Kean is one of dozens of House Republicans Democrats are targeting in hopes of flipping control of the chamber.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
The money keeps flowing into AI infrastructure, which will support the earnings of companies like Dell, HPE, and the chipmakers.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
2 June 2026
-
But details aren’t exactly flowing yet.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
The sisters, brushing their teeth, speak telepathically, inner thoughts printed in caption text across the screen.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
-
As a guest, Monroe was likely brushing elbows with other old Hollywood stars like Cary Grant and Elizabeth Taylor.—
Colson Thayer,
PEOPLE,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Micron Technology — Chip stocks rebounded strongly after Friday’s sell-off, with shares of Micron Technology and KLA Corp bouncing 10%, while Broadcom gained about 3%.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
8 June 2026
-
The play started innocently enough with Tab Ramos bouncing a one-hop pass to Paul Caligiuri, who played the ball off his chest 40 yards from goal.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2026
Verb
-
His perfect parade was broken up by an error in the fourth inning when miscommunication between Andy Pages and Kyle Tucker led to Trea Turner’s fly ball glancing off Tucker’s glove and dropping to the warning track uncaught.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
-
These gentler, more glancing interactions often result in a merger, too.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
The jet offers a cabin altitude of 2,691 feet while cruising at 41,000 feet, which the company describes as the lowest cabin altitude in business aviation production.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
6 June 2026
-
Wacha was cruising until the sixth inning.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
Back then, Elordi was seen kissing Kidman’s hand, and the two attended the same afterparty.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
26 May 2026
-
On April 8, Jonas shared a photo on Instagram of himself kissing Malti on her head.—
Lexi Lane,
PEOPLE,
24 May 2026
Verb
-
Also, Napoleon Solo, the winner of the Preakness, is skipping the Belmont.—
Geoff Clark OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
6 June 2026
-
Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**.—
Sarah Hostetler,
CNBC,
5 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Skimming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skimming. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
