trim one's sails en · VERB
Meanings
- To adjust a ship's sails to make the best of wind conditions.
- (broadly, figuratively) To adapt to changing circumstances, especially if it involves scaling back one's ambitions; to make cutbacks.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| trimming one's sails | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| trimmed one's sails | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| trimmed one's sails | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| trims one's sails | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| trim one's sails to the wind | alternative | lexicographic |
Synonyms
Translations (4)
fr réduire la voilure (to make cutbacks) · fi tehdä leikkauksia (to make cutbacks) · it assettare la velatura (adjust a ship's sails) · it agire secondo il vento che tira (to make cutbacks)