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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to rub
to make smooth by friction
honed the edge of the axe until it was amazingly sharp
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example 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 hone
Software providers for budget and premium TVs are honing their ad skills, which requires advancing their ability to collect user data.
—
ArsTechnica, 18 June 2025
People in your circle possess valuable insights and might suggest training programs, workshops, or conferences that could hone your skills further.
—Johnny C. Taylor Jr, USA Today, 17 June 2025
In the sports context, irreparable harm is sometimes argued in the context of an athlete excluded from playing in that the athlete will lose the chance to play in games that will never be played again and lose the opportunity to hone their skills.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 12 June 2025
Following their debut album Music in 1993, the band took to the road to tour and hone their performance skills.
—Devin Robertson, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for hone
ArsTechnica, 18 June 2025
People in your circle possess valuable insights and might suggest training programs, workshops, or conferences that could hone your skills further.
—Johnny C. Taylor Jr, USA Today, 17 June 2025
In the sports context, irreparable harm is sometimes argued in the context of an athlete excluded from playing in that the athlete will lose the chance to play in games that will never be played again and lose the opportunity to hone their skills.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 12 June 2025
Following their debut album Music in 1993, the band took to the road to tour and hone their performance skills.
—Devin Robertson, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for hone
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hone
Verb
-
These days, premium hooks are made from a variety of composite metals and are sometimes sharpened with chemicals or lasers.—
Joe Cermele,
Outdoor Life,
19 June 2025
-
His intensity in the area has sharpened following the leaps in advancement from OpenAI, a rival that raised tens of billions of dollars in funding.—
Jordan Valinsky,
CNN Money,
18 June 2025
Verb
-
Spray each area of the body for at least six seconds from just a few inches away, and then rub it in.—
Stephanie Anderson Witmer,
Health,
16 June 2025
-
Just slice an onion and rub it along the grates using tongs.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
15 June 2025
Verb
-
Other procedures like polishing restorations, ceramic crowns, using elastics, orthodontic appliances, and so on can generate particles.—
Suwanna Gauntlett Upjohn,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
-
Most people think stand-up comics spend decades polishing their act to get good at telling jokes.—
Nate Jackson,
Los Angeles Times,
23 June 2025
Verb
-
Hand-turned and sanded from a durable walnut wood, this one is finished with a food-safe beeswax oil blend, according to East Fork Pottery.—
Kate McGregor,
Architectural Digest,
17 June 2025
-
But the popularity of sanding down the tension and defining characteristics out of romances has also inadvertently sanded down much of the character diversity.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
13 May 2025
Verb
-
It’s made from grinding green tea leaves—which can be varying grades of quality—into a fine powder, which is then whisked with hot water to create a thick, frothy liquid.—
Devorah Lev-Tov,
Vogue,
20 June 2025
-
Toss in an uncaring government agent with an axe to grind.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
19 June 2025
Verb
-
Newsweek has reached out to the office of interim U.S. Attorney Alina Habba, who filed the charges, via email on Wednesday afternoon.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 June 2025
-
The suit is one of dozens filed against the Trump administration over grant terminations — but one of the few to come directly from researchers.—
Jaweed Kaleem,
Los Angeles Times,
25 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hone.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hone. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share