hone

verb

ˈhōn How to pronounce hone (audio)
Definition of honenext
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to rub
to make smooth by friction honed the edge of the axe until it was amazingly sharp

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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 Michael Kors has also been honing a warmer, more residential feel in its stores. — Evan Clark, Footwear News, 30 Oct. 2026 Goldthwait is known for his dark humor, honed during his career as a stand-up comic in the 1980s. — Kelly Martinez, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Oct. 2026 And Clark, who has spent years honing her skills on Lake Erie, can't wait to see how her own fishing knowledge stacks up. — Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026 And while not everyone has been happy with such a major shift, notably all those pentathletes who spent years honing their equestrian skills, the sport deemed it a necessary disturbance in order to maintain its status as an Olympic event. — Ben Church, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hone
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hone
  1. sharpen
  2. rub
  3. polish
  4. sand
  5. grind
  6. file
Verb
  • Anxiety knocks people off autopilot, sharpens attention and sends them looking for new information.
    — Monique Mitchell Turner, The Conversation, 23 Oct. 2026
  • If this more potent engine wasn’t enough, the 2027 Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 bristles with fresh technology and engineering enhancements to sharpen its driving dynamics.
    — Howard Walker, Robb Report, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of sharpen
Verb
  • The discovery was made Wednesday in the Hickory Ridge area of east Charlotte, and responding officers report a man drenched in sweat tried to rub them down with garlic and bite them, according to an affidavit.
    — Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 23 Oct. 2026
  • True, but there are other issues that rubbed me the wrong way (sorry).
    — Valerie Monroe, Allure, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of rub
Verb
  • Not only is Robert Carlock and Sam Means’ NBC sitcom designed to squeeze in as many jokes as the human brain can process in 21-minute chunks, it’s also carefully paced and polished to keep those jokes as superb and surprising as possible.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Her rich, raven-black shade was polished to a mirror-like shine.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of polish
Verb
  • To hold it in my lap and sand down the spot where my story was engraved.
    — Daniel Barnum, Longreads, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Whatever marks that remain after pulling the supports away and curing the parts are easily ground or sanded away.
    — Michael Lydick, PC Magazine, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of sand
Verb
  • The path Republicans take is not entirely up to him, however, given that an individual senator has enough privileges to grind floor business to a crawl.
    — David Sivak, The Washington Examiner, 30 Oct. 2026
  • But as there’s still one last weekend to grind through before Election Day, get ready for a heavy press of often irrelevant ads to hit your retinas during this weekend’s football games.
    — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of grind
Verb
  • Neither Castillo nor Hershey have filed required ethics reports, or reported fundraising, signs their campaigns lack broad support and have not broadly engaged voters.
    — Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Insurance agent Ken McFeeters filed a lawsuit challenging the senator’s eligibility based on residency requirements, but the lawsuit was dismissed.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of file

Browse Nearby Words

honchos
hone
honed
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Cite this Entry

“Hone.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hone. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

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