honed 1 of 2

honed

2 of 2

verb

past tense of hone
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

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of honed
Verb
Each one honed their craft with unwavering focus. Ann Kirschner, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024 Warrior-leadership unleashed is a genuine expression honed from a strong sense of self. Chip Bell, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024 His first drew heavily on his childhood memories and on the kitchen skills honed by watching his grandma cook and then deconstructing her recipes. Kendra Nordin Beato, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Dec. 2024 Being able to carry out this type of attack—dropping one bomb after the other in waves of precise and repeated airstrikes—is an important skill that has been honed by Israel to penetrate bunkers and will work just as well in Iran. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024 The brothers practice a deeply ingrained religious optimism, honed by decades of Shiite doctrine about righteous battle against the injustice of a stronger enemy. Scott Peterson, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Dec. 2024 Russia, which maintained access to a critical Mediterranean naval base in Syria, honed the same private mercenaries and indiscriminate bombing tactics later deployed in its invasion of Ukraine. Zachary Basu, Axios, 10 Dec. 2024 These are women whose skills have been honed through more than a decade of ferocious combat, and watching them in person must be a pleasure. Brian Moylan, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2024 The custom coffee tables have brass legs and Montclair honed marble from Marmi Stone. Troy J. McMullen, Architectural Digest, 9 Dec. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near honed

Cite this Entry

“Honed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/honed. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on honed

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!