From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishskim somebody/something ↔ off phrasal verb1 TAKE something FROM somebodyto take the best people or the best part of something for yourself Professional sport skims off all the best players.2 to take money illegally or dishonestly For years his business partner had been skimming off the profits. → skim→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
skim off• As the grey scum rises, skim it off.• Cleanup crews, meanwhile, skimmed oil off the water and lowered the boom. 