Meanings
verbtrim one's sails (third-person singular simple present trims one's sails, present participle trimming one's sails, simple past and past participle trimmed one's sails)
present singular third person trims one's sails · participle present trimming one's sails · participle past trimmed one's sails · past trimmed one's sails · alternative trim one's sails to the wind
- broadlyfigurativelyTo adapt to changing circumstances, especially if it involves scaling back one's ambitions; to make cutbacks.
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo adjust a ship's sails to make the best of wind conditions.
Similar
shorten sail
Translations
Finnish tehdä leikkauksia
- tehdä leikkauksiato make cutbacks
French réduire la voilure
- réduire la voilureto make cutbacks
Italian assettare la velatura, agire secondo il vento che tira
- assettare la velaturaadjust a ship's sails
- agire secondo il vento che tirato make cutbacks
Cite this entry
APA
trim one's sails. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/trim%20one's%20sails
MLA
“trim one's sails.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/trim%20one's%20sails. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “trim one's sails,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/trim%20one's%20sails.
Source: trim one's sails on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.