as in defeat
failure to win a contest
our football team suffered a pretty severe trimming
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in mastering
to achieve a victory over
a speed skater who consistently trimmed all his competition
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in whipping
to defeat by a large margin
they trimmed our team by 40 points
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in shaving
to make (something) shorter or smaller with the use of a cutting instrument
trimmed her bangs
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4
as in decorating
to make more attractive by adding something that is beautiful or becoming
trim a tree for Christmas
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5
as in organizing
to make neat
trimmed the shrubbery in order to enhance the house's curb appeal
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of trimming
Steve Bender, Southern Living, 8 Mar. 2026
Gardeners can address freeze damage by removing mushy or dead leaves but should wait for new growth before major trimming.
—Becky Wern, Florida Times-Union, 7 Mar. 2026
Nate Jones, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
Silver plunged more than 13% before trimming losses.
—Yvonne Yue Li, Bloomberg, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for trimming
Noun
The size of the powder puff tree can be controlled by continuous trimming, even by moving them to an indoor location to avoid harsh winter climates.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 8 Mar. 2026
Gardeners can address freeze damage by removing mushy or dead leaves but should wait for new growth before major trimming.
—Becky Wern, Florida Times-Union, 7 Mar. 2026
Verb
With Vanity Fair trimming its guest list down to the bone and Warners not throwing the kind of party people like me were invited to, Neon’s Oscar party at Mother Wolf became the de facto post–Governors’ Ball gathering spot.
—Nate Jones, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
Silver plunged more than 13% before trimming losses.
—Yvonne Yue Li, Bloomberg, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for trimming
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trimming
Noun
-
This was a better defensive effort for the Stars than their sloppy defeat Tuesday night at home against New Jersey.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Mental mistakes have led to losses, such as SKC’s most recent 4-1 defeat to the Colorado Rapids on Saturday.—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
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For years, women in Israel committed themselves to rigorous Torah scholarship, mastering complex halachic material and serving their communities as teachers and spiritual leaders, yet were barred from even attempting the state rabbinate exams.—
Rabba Sara Hurwitz,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Mar. 2026
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After mastering waterbending in Season 1, Aang will turn to earthbending in Season 2, while evading the evil Fire Nation and Prince Zuko.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Like Apollo 13, Artemis II will take advantage of the moon’s and Earth’s gravity, making a figure 8 after whipping around the moon to head home in what’s known as a free-return trajectory requiring little if any fuel.—
Marcia Dunn,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Mar. 2026
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Like Apollo 13, Artemis II will take advantage of the moon and Earth’s gravity, making a figure eight after whipping around the moon to head home in what’s known as a free-return trajectory requiring little if any fuel.—
Marcia Dunn,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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For three men in three different places, shaving their heads did not erase years of anxiety but changed the narrative.—
Lily Hautau,
CNN Money,
30 Mar. 2026
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That's because these plug-in or balcony solar panels start shaving off part of a homeowner's or renter's utility bill right away.—
Jeff Brady,
NPR,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Aubrey mother uses rally to teach daughter Aubrey residents Emily Murray, 43, and her 9-year-old daughter Storie spent Friday evening making signs and decorating a shirt before attending their first No Kings protest in Frisco on Saturday.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
28 Mar. 2026
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Wreaths are also custom to Ancient Greece, with Greeks traditionally decorating their front door with a flower wreath to symbolize welcoming nature into their homes.—
Anna Halkidis,
Parents,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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He and Mason envision using the app in conjunction with a sports property, like organizing nationwide college tournaments for World Pong without the cost of dispatching operators to each location.—
Justin Birnbaum,
Sportico.com,
26 Mar. 2026
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That’s a song about a heavy topic — organizing an intervention for one of your best friends.—
Mikael Wood,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Then, to add insult to injury, the Cavaliers carried a 109-87 lead into the fourth when Cleveland’s Evan Mobley ended the third quarter with a successful 32-foot buzzer-beating heave.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Mar. 2026
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He and Flores also are accused of ordering kidnappings, beatings and murders of those who owed them drug money or undermined their trafficking operation.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Austin Hays also hit a three-run home run for the Sox, who collected their first win of the season by defeating the Miami Marlins 9-4 in front of 6,515 at loanDepot park.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
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New York looked terrific, allowing just a single run over three games, defeating the Giants 7-0, 3-0, and 3-1.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Trimming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trimming. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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