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Showing results for "trimming"
  • present participle of trim.
Search instead for retrimming.
Synonyms

trimming

American  
[trim-ing] / ˈtrɪm ɪŋ /

noun

trimmings plural
  1. anything used or serving to decorate or complete.

    the trimmings of a Christmas tree.

  2. Usually trimmings an accompaniment or garnish to a main dish.

    roast turkey with all the trimmings.

  3. trimmings, pieces cut off in trimming, clipping, paring, or pruning.

  4. the act of a person or thing that trims.

  5. Informal. a beating or thrashing.

  6. Informal. a defeat.

    Our team took quite a trimming.


trimming British  
/ ˈtrɪmɪŋ /

noun

  1. an extra piece used to decorate or complete

  2. (plural) usual or traditional accompaniments

    roast turkey with all the trimmings

  3. (plural) parts that are cut off

  4. dialect (plural) ornaments; decorations

    Christmas trimmings

  5. informal a reproof, beating, or defeat

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of trimming

First recorded in 1510–20; trim + -ing 1

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.

See Examples For:

His efforts since taking the helm in the fall have focused on trimming its behemoth portfolio, mirroring moves by rivals in the sector.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 23, 2026

Midfielder Andrey Santos joined Manchester United an hour before the media conference, and Alonso was asked whether a lack of European football meant the squad needed trimming.

From BBC Jul. 13, 2026

At 14 songs and 62 minutes, the album would have benefited from trimming three or four of the more generic tunes.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 10, 2026

That means investors should be in “continuous risk-management” mode right now, trimming away at winners in stocks and rebalancing portfolios back to their longer-term stock and bond targets, Pride said.

From MarketWatch Jul. 2, 2026

There was a regular rose garden and I started trimming in that.

From "Life Is So Good" by George Dawson

For income investors with a value bent, those six have the ingredients of a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings.

From Barron's Nov. 25, 2025

Over the summer, James also bought an Austrian company that makes car trimmings and a sealings specialist in Germany.

From The Wall Street Journal Nov. 14, 2025

Row upon row of elaborate trimmings are composed of interlocking streams of fluid silver, their chain-like pattern more visually felt than precisely illustrated.

From Los Angeles Times Dec. 17, 2024

We pickle a lot of the veggies during the season and start vinegars with trimmings.

From Salon Sep. 4, 2024

The day’s menu had been pasted on the glass and a special dinner with all the trimmings was laid out to attract customers.

From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers

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