1
as in sleek
having a shiny surface or finish
she could see her face reflected in the polished hood of the car
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cultured
having or showing a taste for the fine arts and gracious living
showing the polished manners of a cosmopolitan woman
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in smoothed
to make smooth or glossy usually by repeatedly applying surface pressure
you'll need to polish your shoes with a clean rag before the performance
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in finished
to bring (something) to a state where nothing remains to be done
once you polish the article a bit, it'll be ready to submit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of polished
Alex Sales, Glamour, 27 Mar. 2026
In virtually staged listing photos, the floorboards are black and polished, the walls are white, and, in lieu of a wall dividing the bedroom from the living and dining, there are custom double-sided bookshelves just shy of the roughly 13-foot ceiling.
—Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 26 Mar. 2026
Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 10 Mar. 2026
This chic set is comfortable enough to sleep in, thanks to its elastic pull-on waistband, yet looks polished enough to wear right from the airport to lunch with friends, thanks to the stylish twist-tie detailing.
—Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for polished
Adjective
Also, a mule has the rare quality of looking very polished and relaxed at the same time.
—Alex Sales, Glamour, 27 Mar. 2026
In virtually staged listing photos, the floorboards are black and polished, the walls are white, and, in lieu of a wall dividing the bedroom from the living and dining, there are custom double-sided bookshelves just shy of the roughly 13-foot ceiling.
—Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 26 Mar. 2026
Verb
The spotless streets are polished nightly by the feet of families licking ice cream.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 10 Mar. 2026
This chic set is comfortable enough to sleep in, thanks to its elastic pull-on waistband, yet looks polished enough to wear right from the airport to lunch with friends, thanks to the stylish twist-tie detailing.
—Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for polished
Recent Examples of Synonyms for polished
Adjective
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It was well appointed and modern, with a sleek and nicely stocked wet bar, and curtains that swiftly opened or closed at the touch of a button.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026
-
The Low Tow prototype also includes a sleek indoor corner kitchen with slim rectangular sink, dual-burner induction cooktop and 12-V compressor fridge.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
29 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The syrupy sweetness brought to mind a pancake, while the faintly cultured cheese turned it savory.—
Cesar Hernandez,
San Francisco Chronicle,
28 Mar. 2026
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Look for cultured cottage cheese to get an extra dose of probiotics.—
Philipp Wehsack,
Vogue,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The looming canyon nearly obscures sunlight, and sinuous, layered stone reveals warm burgundy, grey, and violet striations smoothed by centuries of flooding.—
Madison Chapman,
Outside,
25 Mar. 2026
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Fronting the glittering waters of the Atlantic, the Louis XIII-style promenade is currently undergoing a multi-million-dollar renewal, its granite tiles buffed and smoothed, vegetation planted, and its sea lions by sculptor José Fioravanti returned to their former glory.—
Siobhan Reid,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Ciriaco finished second in the Olympic category and fourth in the traditional event in the 119-pound weight class at the 3A state championship.—
Alex Kushel,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The Cubs finished 4-for-19 with runners in scoring position and left nine on base.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The coppery hue comes through as red in contrast with her eye color and glossy lips, outlined in a tan pencil.—
Marci Robin,
Allure,
27 Mar. 2026
-
After that, paper media gets a lot glossier, and a lot more knowing.—
Laura Brown,
Artforum,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The best actor nominee isn’t the only one noticing a significant change on the red carpet this season — though some events, like the annual VF Oscar Party, have always been more civilized than others.—
Rebecca Ford,
Vanity Fair,
12 Mar. 2026
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Denying them those opportunities in an attempt to punish their parents should be abhorrent to any civilized nation.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 Mar. 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
Verb
-
Because if not for that potential off-ramp of failing in the play-in and stumbling into the lottery, then the possibility of even more of this — a best-of-seven opening-round playoff series against an opponent that Wednesday night completed a 4-0 regular-season sweep.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
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Rockingham Speedway completed its remarkable revitalization and landed on the NASCAR schedule last spring.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Polished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/polished. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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