skim
verb (used with object)
to take up or remove (floating matter) from the surface of a liquid, as with a spoon or ladle.
are skimming
-
present progressiveof skim.present progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or state that is currently taking place in the immediate present.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Cleanup teams are skimming and pumping oil from the tributary and deploying absorbent booms and pads to recover oil trapped along the creek bed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 20, 2025
“I legitimately think that they are skimming off the top,” she says.
From The Verge ● Jun. 6, 2022
The only plausible explanation, he suggested, is that the company’s officials are skimming off the difference.
From Salon ● Apr. 1, 2014
Some are skimming oil — either at sea, from specialized skimming vessels, or closer to shore with so-called “drum” skimmers, cylinders with surfaces that attract oil, which is then squeegeed off as the drum spins.
From New York Times ● Jun. 26, 2010
There are tiny bugs floating dead in the water; others are skimming, still alive.
From "Ninth Ward" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
