hone

1 of 3

verb (1)

honed; honing
Synonyms of honenext

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
honer noun

hone

2 of 3

noun

hone

3 of 3

verb (2)

honed; honing

intransitive verb

1
dialect : yearn
often used with for or after
2
dialect : grumble, moan

Synonyms of hone

Examples of hone in a Sentence

Verb (1) 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 honed the edge of the axe until it was amazingly sharp
Recent Examples on the Web
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Verb
It could be described as a genre about flailing white people, the one that gave rise to Greta Gerwig in Frances Ha and Hannah Takes the Stairs and inspired the slightly younger Lena Dunham in honing the I-want-to-dissolve-into-my-seat-with-embarrassment humor of Girls. Jada Yuan, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026 The knife blade is not serrated, so it can be honed for maintenance and eventually sharpened. Emily Johnson, Bon Appetit Magazine, 18 Mar. 2026 Adopting ‘The Pitt’ Model One thing that premium cable introduced and streaming further honed is short seasons, with 8 episodes a season now standard for a streaming drama series. Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 18 Mar. 2026 Every living thing on Earth has been honed by millions of years of evolution and coevolution alongside all the other creatures and the planet’s different environments. Emma Gometz, Scientific American, 15 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hone

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb (1)

Middle English, from Old English hān stone; akin to Old Norse hein whetstone, Latin cot-, cos, Sanskrit śiśāti he whets

Verb (2)

Middle French hoigner to grumble

First Known Use

Verb (1)

1788, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hone was in the 14th century

Cite this Entry

“Hone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hone. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

hone

verb
ˈhōn
honed; honing
1
: to sharpen with or as if with a fine abrasive stone
2
: to make more intense or effective
top athletes honing their skills

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