hone in
verb
Bob GreeneLisa 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
Edie Kasten, CBS News, 21 Mar. 2026
Osi approached the graves with enthusiasm, moving quickly back and forth through the area before honing in on a spot in the brush.
—Liz Teitz, San Antonio Express-News, 19 Mar. 2026
Other marketers have also honed in on the film; Unilever’s TreSemme also has a tie-in with the property.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 17 Mar. 2026
As oil jumped, investors largely looked past the move and honed in on company-specific strengths.
—Paulina Likos, CNBC, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hone in
Cite this Entry
“Hone in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hone%20in. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.
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