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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hone
Tech-art studio Rhizomatiks and Dentsu design experts, both based in Japan, continued honing the capabilities as underlying technology improved.
—
Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 25 Apr. 2026
There’s a restaurant-quality flair to the dishes that’s impressive for a new lodge, no doubt honed through the team’s past stints at Chem Chem.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Apr. 2026
For beer and wine, Holland is looking to narrow the focus to more local makers — to the best of her ability — working with distributors to hone the selections.
—Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Tilson Thomas’ New World Symphony, an ensemble and intensive three-year fellowship program for music school graduates to hone their craft, and its home at the New World Center in Miami Beach, are considered to be crown jewels in the Miami area’s art scene.
—Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hone
Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 25 Apr. 2026
There’s a restaurant-quality flair to the dishes that’s impressive for a new lodge, no doubt honed through the team’s past stints at Chem Chem.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Apr. 2026
For beer and wine, Holland is looking to narrow the focus to more local makers — to the best of her ability — working with distributors to hone the selections.
—Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 24 Apr. 2026
Tilson Thomas’ New World Symphony, an ensemble and intensive three-year fellowship program for music school graduates to hone their craft, and its home at the New World Center in Miami Beach, are considered to be crown jewels in the Miami area’s art scene.
—Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hone
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hone
Verb
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But those comparisons won’t do The White Lotus any favors, since Beef is more effective than that series’ second and third seasons in interrogating how exclusive locations sharpen class differences.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
4 May 2026
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Getting up to sharpen the pencils is part of the meditative act for me.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 May 2026
Verb
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The 4-year-old eventually could be seen getting up and walking away, while Berrios-Otero continues to allegedly rub the unidentified child, the warrant affidavits said.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
2 May 2026
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Expect wagyu brisket, lemon-zested ribs and rubs with hints of curry or tandoori.—
Bud Kennedy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 May 2026
Verb
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The secret to staying polished on hot, sticky summer days?—
Jacquelyn McGilvray,
PEOPLE,
6 May 2026
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While rivals like the Tacoma and Colorado constantly reinvent themselves, Nissan tends to take the long road by refining, tweaking, and polishing instead of blowing everything up every few years.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
3 May 2026
Verb
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Embrace the act of adding to a work table's patina, let your copper sit on display, and don't worry about sanding and re-staining old wood.—
Tessa Cooper,
The Spruce,
27 Apr. 2026
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The technique still needs sanding, and zero interceptions in 48 career games is concerning, but McCutchin’s combine testing gave his draft case a nice shot of nitrous.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Software and computer systems design payrolls have been grinding lower recently, as have those of computer and electronics manufacturers.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
6 May 2026
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Garbage disposals can grind small pieces of food and granules; however, large, hard and fibrous foods will cause clogs and residue over time in the disposal.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
6 May 2026
Verb
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Haines is among more than 1,500 property owners who filed a federal lawsuit arguing the moratorium enacted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention violated the Fifth Amendment by unlawfully denying them compensation.—
Michael Casey,
Fortune,
3 May 2026
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But this estimate hinged on the fact that all those shipments had been handled by a small group of prolific importers — companies that quickly got ready to file their claims.—
Alina Selyukh,
NPR,
3 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hone.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hone. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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