hone in

verb

honed in; honing in; hones in

intransitive verb

: to move toward or focus attention on an objective

looking back for the ball honing in

—George Plimpton

a missile honing in on its target

—Bob Greene

hones in on the plights and victories of the common man

—Lisa Russell

Hone in vs. Home in: Usage Guide

Most usage commentators consider hone in to be a mistake for home in. The use may have arisen from home in by the weakening of the \m\ sound to \n\ or it may have developed simply because of the influence of hone, with perhaps an underlying sense that "honing" figuratively involves a narrowing or sharpening of focus. Whatever the explanation of its origins, it has established itself in American English and has begun to make a few inroads into British English as well. Even so, your use of it especially in writing is likely to be called a mistake. Home in or in figurative use zero in is an easy alternative.

Examples of hone in in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Saturn is known to be the disciplinarian in the zodiac, overlooking structure, order and responsibility, so this is a great time to hone in on your foundations. —Stephanie Sengwe, Peoplemag, 12 May 2024

Use the weeks and months before your sailing to study deck plans and hone in on your favorite amenities. —Elizabeth Heath, Travel + Leisure, 11 May 2024

After all, season 1 largely focuses on his sister Daphne while season 2 hones in on his brother Anthony. —James Mercadante and Stephanie Kaloi, EW.com, 11 May 2024

The change may also mirror a shift in emphasis in the Republican Party: while conservatives, like those at the Cato Institute, have long focused on personal independence and limited government oversight, the right wing in recent years has honed in on election security. —Ian Max Stevenson, Idaho Statesman, 8 May 2024

Frankly, the jig head and bait just hop along the bottom, not accurately imitating a specific forage that bass love to hone in on. —Derek Horner, Outdoor Life, 29 Apr. 2024

Pluto’s retrograde asks you to hone in on your true aspirations. —USA TODAY, 2 May 2024

For the past two years, Restaurant Olivia, at 290 S. Downing St., has honed in on its sustainability efforts, eliminating one of its most popular dishes, lobster spaghetti, because of how much styrofoam was necessary to ship the lobster. —Lily O'Neill, The Denver Post, 18 Apr. 2024

Now, with her third studio album, Don’t Forget Me, Rogers hones in on more intimate moments. —Ilana Kaplan, SPIN, 10 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

alteration of home in

First Known Use

1965, in the meaning defined above