1
as in sharpening
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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rubbing
to make smooth by friction
honed the edge of the axe until it was amazingly sharp
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Recent Examples of honing
Growing up watching the Food Network, Castro, 34, learned all the basics about preparing the perfect meal while honing her craft at home.
—
Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 13 June 2026
Google has been honing Adaptive Connectivity for a few generations on the Pixel.
—Florence Ion, PC Magazine, 12 June 2026
Richard Vogel was 18 years old, honing his skills as a young rider in Germany, when Scott Brash made history by becoming the first rider to win the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping.
—Danielle Rossingh, New York Times, 9 June 2026
Tobacco companies spent decades honing marketing strategies, flavor engineering and processing technologies that helped addict consumers to cigarettes.
—Maria Godoy, NPR, 9 June 2026
Among the city’s finest is Michael Lepage, who has been honing his Paul Revere character for over 30 years.
—Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026
Students are honing their craft for the three-day festival at the Angelika Film Center in the heart of Mockingbird Station.
—Dawn White, CBS News, 7 June 2026
For a company that’s spent over a hundred years honing its game, Wilson’s unwavering commitment to excellence is to be expected.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 4 June 2026
Fluid intelligence follows this pattern, too, for anyone interested in honing it.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
Meredith Wilshere, PEOPLE, 13 June 2026
Google has been honing Adaptive Connectivity for a few generations on the Pixel.
—Florence Ion, PC Magazine, 12 June 2026
Richard Vogel was 18 years old, honing his skills as a young rider in Germany, when Scott Brash made history by becoming the first rider to win the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping.
—Danielle Rossingh, New York Times, 9 June 2026
Tobacco companies spent decades honing marketing strategies, flavor engineering and processing technologies that helped addict consumers to cigarettes.
—Maria Godoy, NPR, 9 June 2026
Among the city’s finest is Michael Lepage, who has been honing his Paul Revere character for over 30 years.
—Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026
Students are honing their craft for the three-day festival at the Angelika Film Center in the heart of Mockingbird Station.
—Dawn White, CBS News, 7 June 2026
For a company that’s spent over a hundred years honing its game, Wilson’s unwavering commitment to excellence is to be expected.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 4 June 2026
Fluid intelligence follows this pattern, too, for anyone interested in honing it.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for honing
Verb
-
The warehouse’s operator, Lineage Logistics, previously faced federal penalties over ammonia safety in Iowa and a smaller fire in Boyle Heights in 2024, sharpening scrutiny of its handling of hazardous refrigerants.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2026
-
Morocco has just leapfrogged South Africa in the African Development Bank industrial ranking, sharpening the urgency to cut costs that hollow out factories.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
Use light pressure when rubbing the skin, and avoid washing multiple peaches at once to prevent them from bumping into each other.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
14 June 2026
-
My wife lowers her gaze as if tired, rubbing the side of her glass with her fingers.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
The boys were grinding today, my goodness.—
Mark Anderson,
Los Angeles Times,
15 June 2026
-
Antonelli had actually just managed to pass Russell on track on lap 61 before grinding to a halt a lap later.—
Jonathan M. Gitlin,
ArsTechnica,
15 June 2026
Verb
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The deceptively roomy, buttery-smooth leather style features a convertible crossbody strap, metal feet, interior pockets, and an outfit-polishing silhouette.—
Olivia Cigliano,
InStyle,
13 June 2026
-
Prioritizing Features Over User Intent A common user experience mistake is polishing the surface instead of solving for the moment of intent.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
The Limeira City Council is filing a complaint against the Brazilian federal government following the incident, according to the outlet.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
14 June 2026
-
Democratic states, including California, have fought back by filing lawsuits against federal agencies over certain policies and actions affecting governments programs such as SNAP.—
Lizzie Kane
June 14,
Sacbee.com,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
During a walk-through for reporters on Thursday, construction noises — particularly sanding and hammering — could be heard.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 June 2026
-
Then sanding, priming, spraying back at my own shop to create numerous avatars of her including a male trixter hero version named the ‘Frozen Charlatan’ who is the chrome metallic alter ego.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
Polishing is the process of buffing off the excess wax to create a shine.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
13 June 2026
-
For appliances and fixtures such as faucets, start by sprinkling baking soda onto a damp rag, and buffing the stainless steel gently to clean and brighten.—
Alexandra Kelly,
Martha Stewart,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Honing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/honing. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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