1
as in to sharpen
to make sharp or sharper
honed the knife's blade to razor-like sharpness honed his crossword-puzzle skills by reading the dictionary as though it were a thrilling novel
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2
as in to rub
to make smooth by friction
honed the edge of the axe until it was amazingly sharp
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of hone
Retail tech startups deploying AI have been raising money hand over fist — a trend expected to continue as large e-commerce players like Amazon and Walmart hone their search strategies.
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Richard Collings, Axios, 18 Dec. 2024
Dolman, who previously led Christie’s and Qatar Museums, was credited with raising Phillips’ global profile, particularly in Asia, and honing a focus on sales by emerging contemporary artists.
—Angelica Villa, ARTnews.com, 18 Dec. 2024
This gives them the platform to hone strategic planning, delegation and team-building skills in a supportive setting.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
For the past few years, project engineers have been honing the skillset and boosting the capabilities of a basketball-playing robot named CUE.
—New Atlas, 15 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hone 
Richard Collings, Axios, 18 Dec. 2024
Dolman, who previously led Christie’s and Qatar Museums, was credited with raising Phillips’ global profile, particularly in Asia, and honing a focus on sales by emerging contemporary artists.
—Angelica Villa, ARTnews.com, 18 Dec. 2024
This gives them the platform to hone strategic planning, delegation and team-building skills in a supportive setting.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
For the past few years, project engineers have been honing the skillset and boosting the capabilities of a basketball-playing robot named CUE.
—New Atlas, 15 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hone
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hone
Verb
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Years of this practice have sharpened my writing skills, from emails to social media posts (hello, 12K LinkedIn followers).Vital Laptenok, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024
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Fortunately, Mercury’s ingress into Capricorn on Jan. 8 sharpens our focus and communication style, formalizing our approach with structure and pragmatism.Valerie Mesa, People.com, 21 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Kaya looked for the bacon in the areas where the owner had rubbed it.Andy Biggs, Newsweek, 25 Dec. 2024
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Da Silva rubbed Anthony’s head and hugged him, too.Josh Robbins, The Athletic, 22 Dec. 2024
Verb
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On the other side, a smooth and soft microfiber polishes the skin while gently exfoliating the pores.Jenny Berg, Allure, 23 Dec. 2024
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Dust pieces before storage: A light dusting with a soft cloth (such as a jewelry polishing cloth) is usually all that’s needed before organizing breakables to store until next Christmas.Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The gene-editing is an attempt to fit a square peg into a round hole — to sand off the incompatible edges of a pig organ to force it to work in a human.Rob Stein, NPR, 17 Dec. 2024
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Remove the clamps, and sand the surface until smooth.Maria V. Charbonneaux, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Over the last year, Russia has been on the front foot, with the exception of Kursk, and has been grinding deeper into eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region despite heavy losses.Samya Kullab and Tara Copp, Los Angeles Times, 17 Dec. 2024
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Choose your favorite salt for this recipe, and if possible, freshly grind the black pepper for the best flavor.Robin Miller, The Arizona Republic, 12 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The superstar’s family, band and team members and are based in Music City, not to mention her multiple LLCs are filed with the Tennessee Secretary of State’s Office.Amber Roberson, The Tennessean, 22 Dec. 2024
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Lively filed the legal complaint with the California Civil Rights Department as a precursor to a lawsuit.Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 22 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Hone.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hone. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
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