honed; honing
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
Patricia Bosworth
honer
noun
honed; honing
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
Jeff Bond, HollywoodReporter, 25 Nov. 2025
To South Asians and third culture kids, the encounter showed an immigrant son of the Indian diaspora flexing a very familiar and particular skill — one likely honed over years of uncomfortable interactions with paternalistic elders.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 25 Nov. 2025
The students made sketches of the site, honing their faculties of observation.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
After a stint as a culinary specialist in the Coast Guard, Samir further honed his skills at restaurants in Taos and then Denver.
—Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 21 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hone
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Verb
With around 250 instructors, students can enjoy one-on-one interaction with their teachers, while the school’s 700 performances a year — both at the school proper and at the prestigious Lincoln Center — give young musicians ample opportunity to hone their craft on a world stage.
—Jeff Bond, HollywoodReporter, 25 Nov. 2025
To South Asians and third culture kids, the encounter showed an immigrant son of the Indian diaspora flexing a very familiar and particular skill — one likely honed over years of uncomfortable interactions with paternalistic elders.
—Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 25 Nov. 2025
The students made sketches of the site, honing their faculties of observation.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025
After a stint as a culinary specialist in the Coast Guard, Samir further honed his skills at restaurants in Taos and then Denver.
—Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 21 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hone
Cite this Entry
“Hone.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hone. Accessed 27 Nov. 2025.
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