Skips, as a syllable

ELIDES

Think of how poets might blend words together smoothly, dropping a sound to keep the rhythm flowing.

"Skips, as a syllable" hints at the word for when a sound or syllable is left out in speech or writing. The answer is "ELIDES," which means to omit or slur over a sound (like saying "I'm" instead of "I am"). The clue plays on the idea of "skipping" as a way to describe this linguistic shortcut. It’s a straightforward definition with no hidden wordplay—just a precise term for a common speech pattern.