as in sharpened
having an edge thin enough to cut or pierce something
using a finely honed butcher knife will make cutting meat easier
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in whetted
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rubbed
to make smooth by friction
honed the edge of the axe until it was amazingly sharp
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of honed
Joel Feder, The Drive, 2 Apr. 2026
Koehnemann’s emphasis on fundamentals was honed as Sandberg hit ground balls to him in the driveway.
—Steve Reaven, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
The process of designing and engineering cars has been finely honed by automakers over the decades, even as computer technology has revolutionized the industry and safety standards and requirements strengthened.
—Eileen Falkenberg-Hull, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Letourneau honed that narrative approach during his decade-plus as a sportswriter.
—Connor Letourneau, San Francisco Chronicle, 28 Mar. 2026
Johannesen added that Americans’ love of cooking, honed during the pandemic, has merged into this moment of at-home entertaining.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Mar. 2026
Remember that money management is a skill to be honed – no one is born knowing how to do it well.
—Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
His spring 2026 debut struck the perfect balance between heritage and modernity, drawing from the maison’s most iconic codes—tweed, camellias, and classic tailoring—while subtly reframing them through a lens honed during his tenure at Bottega Veneta.
—Laura Jackson, Vogue, 25 Mar. 2026
The kitchen pairs honed Calacatta marble and custom cabinetry with appliances from Wolf, Sub-Zero, and Miele, bringing it up to modern standards without altering its vintage character.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 24 Mar. 2026
Verb
Pandikuthira mentioned the word Nürburgring, which is where the R35 GT-R was honed and developed when tested outside of Japan.
—Joel Feder, The Drive, 2 Apr. 2026
Koehnemann’s emphasis on fundamentals was honed as Sandberg hit ground balls to him in the driveway.
—Steve Reaven, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
The process of designing and engineering cars has been finely honed by automakers over the decades, even as computer technology has revolutionized the industry and safety standards and requirements strengthened.
—Eileen Falkenberg-Hull, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Letourneau honed that narrative approach during his decade-plus as a sportswriter.
—Connor Letourneau, San Francisco Chronicle, 28 Mar. 2026
Johannesen added that Americans’ love of cooking, honed during the pandemic, has merged into this moment of at-home entertaining.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Mar. 2026
Remember that money management is a skill to be honed – no one is born knowing how to do it well.
—Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2026
His spring 2026 debut struck the perfect balance between heritage and modernity, drawing from the maison’s most iconic codes—tweed, camellias, and classic tailoring—while subtly reframing them through a lens honed during his tenure at Bottega Veneta.
—Laura Jackson, Vogue, 25 Mar. 2026
The kitchen pairs honed Calacatta marble and custom cabinetry with appliances from Wolf, Sub-Zero, and Miele, bringing it up to modern standards without altering its vintage character.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 24 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for honed
Verb
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The commercial logic behind high-resolution restoration has sharpened considerably as streaming platforms have come to depend on catalogue depth.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
1 Apr. 2026
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The declassified materials have sharpened scrutiny of how the 2017 intelligence assessment document was produced in the final weeks of the Obama administration, when senior intelligence officials were shaping conclusions about Russian election interference.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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His grandiose persona rubbed many the wrong way early on, earning him a villain label.—
Pamela Chelin,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Mar. 2026
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And Jesse Leasure, who was drenched in pepper spray and felt like his skin was on fire and as though someone had rubbed his eyeballs with sandpaper.—
Olivia George,
Washington Post,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The first was a gentle bell curve; the second was a jagged line, with two sharp peaks—one on the left, the other on the right.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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The 5-foot-9 rookie infielder looks like a special hitter with sharp instincts on the basepaths.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The realism, and the rawness, of Burden of Justice, sets it apart from most Swedish TV fare, which can often be polished and tasteful to a fault.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The mix feels polished without pushing too much.—
Alex Sales,
Glamour,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Kansas City councilman Nathan Willett also filed to run for the seat after Graves’ announcement.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
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McKnight filed for custody of Dominique and her sibling in 2020, The Charlotte Observer reported previously.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Honed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/honed. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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