1
as in flips
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 flows
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 brushes
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 peeks
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 skims
The creamy formula skims across the lips effortlessly, depositing rich, opaque color in a single stroke and setting into a velvety-matte finish.
—
Jailynn Taylor, Allure, 10 May 2026
This cardigan features a slightly cropped cut that skims the waist, a crew neckline, tonal iridescent buttons, and a ribbed trim.
—Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 29 Apr. 2026
Not only is the staple fabric always comfortable, but the midi silhouette skims the shins for optimal coverage.
—Nicol Natale, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
Many are nothing more than tiny dots of color that a distracted eye skims right over.
—Alissa Greenberg, Mercury News, 13 Apr. 2026
This list merely skims the surface of the buildings worth seeing in Italy’s national capital.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Pond skims a rite of spring Spring skiing can be variable.
—Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald, 18 Mar. 2026
During many eclipse seasons, the moon merely skims Earth's penumbra and umbra.
—Jamie Carter, Space.com, 27 Feb. 2026
That startup success story often skims over the franchise’s original struggles to launch, including its years-long quest for a suitable new stadium.
—Scott Soshnick, Sportico.com, 5 Dec. 2025
Jailynn Taylor, Allure, 10 May 2026
This cardigan features a slightly cropped cut that skims the waist, a crew neckline, tonal iridescent buttons, and a ribbed trim.
—Caroline Hughes, Travel + Leisure, 29 Apr. 2026
Not only is the staple fabric always comfortable, but the midi silhouette skims the shins for optimal coverage.
—Nicol Natale, PEOPLE, 20 Apr. 2026
Many are nothing more than tiny dots of color that a distracted eye skims right over.
—Alissa Greenberg, Mercury News, 13 Apr. 2026
This list merely skims the surface of the buildings worth seeing in Italy’s national capital.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
Pond skims a rite of spring Spring skiing can be variable.
—Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald, 18 Mar. 2026
During many eclipse seasons, the moon merely skims Earth's penumbra and umbra.
—Jamie Carter, Space.com, 27 Feb. 2026
That startup success story often skims over the franchise’s original struggles to launch, including its years-long quest for a suitable new stadium.
—Scott Soshnick, Sportico.com, 5 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for skims
Verb
-
Guerrero, with bat flips and loud lashes last October, has seemingly been impossible to retire on baseball’s biggest stage.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
-
This approach flips the typical publishing timeline on its head.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
That provides the banks liquidity that then theoretically flows through the financial system.—
Jeff Cox,
CNBC,
22 May 2026
-
The capital flows leaving Korea reflect ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, which are driving safe-haven demand.—
William Pesek,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
Tokyo Stylez, Cardi’s hairstylist, brushes out a sleek brown hairpiece, and Erika la’ pearl, her makeup artist, dabs at Cardi’s face while the rapper scrolls through her phone, controlling the music.—
Jazmine Hughes,
Allure,
24 Mar. 2026
-
When some chime in to say their doctors had been cautiously optimistic about treatments, Sarah brushes that aside.—
Gerald Witt,
AJC.com,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Every leaf, branch, and gust of wind bounces sound waves back to the hunter, creating a deafening acoustic fog.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
19 May 2026
-
Maxey curls around the screen with a step on Bridges, then bounces a pass back to Embiid.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
At some point, Silva peeks into the bushes and orders Garcia several times to come out with his hands up and to stop touching his bags.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Laura's Homemade pasta and happy hour specials stand out at Laura's, a favorite sunset spot with a waterfront dining room that peeks over the waves in Port Elizabeth.—
Carley Rojas Avila,
Travel + Leisure,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Footage shows the lovebird riding high inside a clear cabin attached to a drone, as the contraption glides through the air before gently descending toward the ground.—
Christopher Edwards,
PEOPLE,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Brazzell is a 6-foot-4, 198-pound target who glides by his opposing corners with ease.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The kiss in question came during a scene outside a movie theater, where Winslet's character, Hulme, kisses Jackson's unnamed character in excitement.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
16 May 2026
-
His son Bret recalled his father’s postgame smiles, hugs and kisses with his wife of 58 years Debbie.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The report included multiple claims from sources of dysfunction in his campaign, including that Schlossberg had high staff turnover, regularly skips strategy meetings and disappears for long periods of time with little explanation.—
Amethyst Martinez,
USA Today,
18 May 2026
-
Anyone who knows how to go directly to Spokeo, Whitepages, or BeenVerified skips Google entirely and finds everything anyway.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Skims.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/skims. Accessed 25 May. 2026.
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