hone in

verb

honed in; honing in; hones in

intransitive verb

informal

: to move toward or focus attention on an objective

Researchers are honing in on the cause of the disease.

The missile was honing in [=homing in] on its target.

—Bob Greene

… hones in on the plights and victories of the common man …

—Lisa Russell

Hone in vs. Home in: Usage Guide

Hone in is commonly used to mean "to move toward or focus attention on an objective," as in "hone in on a solution," but the use is often regarded as an error. The original and recommended phrase is home in, with home meaning "to move to or toward an objective by following a signal or landmark," as in "an arrow homing in on a target" and in the name of the creature known as the homing pigeon. Confusion between the similar-sounding hone and home likely arose because hone is a more familiar verb, and its meanings of "to sharpen or smooth with a whetstone" and "to make more acute, intense, or effective" can seem apt in the context of zeroing in on an objective. Still, careful writers will want to use home in, or zero in, if they want to avoid criticism.

Examples of hone in in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The number of undecided voters dropped from 24% in the last survey to 14%, an indication that more Californians have honed in on a candidate with ballots starting to arrive in mailboxes early this week. —Claire Wang, Oc Register, 4 May 2026

Versant, which owns cable outlets including MS NOW, CNBC and USA, is honing in on properties related to business news and personal finance; political news and opinion; golf; and sports and genre entertainment. —Brian Steinberg, Variety, 1 May 2026

Playing a lot of minutes with 10 players, having a shorter preparation in the preseason to get some really basic things really honed in. —Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 May 2026

Having spent the last twenty years shaving, Jonas has honed in on products that support his skin. —Jackie Fields, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

alteration of home in

First Known Use

1965, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for hone in

• santonin
• calcitonin
• digitonin
• melatonin
• serotonin
• kronen
• onan
• phonon
• ronin