hone

verb (1)

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\ ˈhōn

honed; honing

Definition of hone

(Entry 1 of 3)

transitive verb

1 : to sharpen or smooth with a whetstone

2 : to make more acute, intense, or effective : whet helped her hone her comic timing— Patricia Bosworth

hone

noun

Definition of hone (Entry 2 of 3)

: whetstone

hone

verb (2)

honed; honing

Definition of hone (Entry 3 of 3)

intransitive verb

1 dialect : yearn —often used with for or after

2 dialect : grumble, moan

Other Words from hone Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about hone

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Synonyms & Antonyms for hone

Synonyms: Verb (1)

Antonyms: Verb (1)

blunt,
dull

Examples of hone in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Rather than making these systems fairer, too many corporate diversity efforts have been devoted to teaching women and minorities the tactics of impression management — how to show confidence, lean in, or hone their political skills. — Tomas Chamorro-premuzic, Forbes, "How Valid Are The Arguments Against Affirmative Action?," 5 Apr. 2021 Alana has several more years to hone her compositional skills. — cleveland, "Independence High School students heading to state JustWrite competition," 5 Apr. 2021 Layton started making her intaglios a few years before the pandemic, but finally had time to hone her practice when the world shut down. — Lia Picard, House Beautiful, "The Young Creative Making an Ancient Roman Design Cool Again," 2 Apr. 2021 Most importantly, the unfamiliar setting pushed him to hone his skills in a new way. — Akili King, Vogue, "Meet Vertical Jones, the Dynamic Pole Dancer in Lil Nas X’s “Montero” Music Video," 31 Mar. 2021 She's also used the time to hone an ability to replicate the voices and cadence of several senators including Sanders, associates say. — Alan Fram, ajc, "For Senate rules arbiter, minimum wage is latest minefield," 23 Feb. 2021 She's also used the time to hone an ability to replicate the voices and cadence of several senators including Sanders, associates say. — Alan Fram, Star Tribune, "For Senate rules arbiter, minimum wage is latest minefield," 23 Feb. 2021 To hone his skills, Taylor went to photography school in 1972 at Eastman Kodak in Atlanta, and the rest is history. — Kathleen Christiansen, orlandosentinel.com, "WKMG photojournalist Tee Taylor reflects on his 50-year career behind the lens," 1 Mar. 2021 To hone your listening skills, head to secondbody.co. — Jen Jamula, Forbes, "Listening To Colleagues Differently: A Key Communication Tool At Work," 26 Feb. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hone.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.