home in on

phrasal verb

homed in on; homing in on; homes in on

: to find and move directly toward (someone or something)

The missile was homing in on its target.

—often used figuratively

Researchers are homing in on the cause of the disease.

Examples of home in on in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Even one of the greatest ever to play this game, Joe Root, could not work out how to break free of the 36-year-old’s shackles here, failing to score a single run off him for 23 balls in a row before finally yielding to the python-like grip when missing one that homed in on his pads. —Tim Spiers, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026

The Upper East Side Democrat also homed in on some areas of agreement with Mamdani, specifically child care, which the mayor promised during the campaign to make free for all kids between 6 weeks and 5 years. —Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 7 Jan. 2026

The simulation added challenges for the avatars — like slippery floors, inclines or stiff joints – and homed in on the best way for Atlas to perform the jumping jacks. —Bill Whitaker, CBS News, 5 Jan. 2026

Republicans on the House Oversight Committee have homed in on the connections to Clinton and are seeking to force him and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to appear for depositions this month. —Arkansas Online, 1 Jan. 2026

Rhymes for home in on

• agamemnon
• automaton
• diencephalon
• panopticon
• phenomenon
• aileron
• antiphon
• autobahn
• carillon
• castellan
• celadon
• cephalon