skim
verb (used with object)
to take up or remove (floating matter) from the surface of a liquid, as with a spoon or ladle.
were skimming
-
past progressiveof skim.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
They were skimming the surface, not going all the way down the rabbit hole.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 2, 2022
In many of the emails, it is apparent that Francona and his colleagues suspected their scouts in Latin America were skimming from bonuses meant for players.
From Washington Post ● May 22, 2019
Then, a twist: The banks were skimming money from — or “fractionalizing” — every transaction we make.
From New York Times ● Mar. 29, 2019
The two men talked for a long time about their favorite local species—the brown pelicans that were skimming the ocean, the Florida scrub jays.
From The New Yorker ● Nov. 16, 2018
We were skimming along the edge of a bridge a hundred and thirty feet above the East River.
From "The Sea of Monsters" by Rick Riordan
