hone in
verb
George PlimptonBob GreeneLisa Russell
Hone in vs. Home in: Usage Guide
Most usage commentators consider hone in to be a mistake for home in. The use may have arisen from home in by the weakening of the \m\ sound to \n\ or it may have developed simply because of the influence of hone, with perhaps an underlying sense that "honing" figuratively involves a narrowing or sharpening of focus. Whatever the explanation of its origins, it has established itself in American English and has begun to make a few inroads into British English as well. Even so, your use of it especially in writing is likely to be called a mistake. Home in or in figurative use zero in is an easy alternative.
Examples of hone in in a Sentence
Claudia Rosenbaum, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025
The panel will dive into where hip-hop meets superhero mythology, and hone in on the creative intersections between superhero lore and storytelling in rap.
—Mackenzie Cummings-Grady, Billboard, 30 Sep. 2025
Certainly, the endless stream of player feedback allowed Supergiant to hone in on razor-sharp gameplay that satisfied existing players.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2025
The sharp, but flexible point allows for drawing fluid, sweeping lines, but also honing in on the tiniest details, like tracing the very inner corners of your lash lines or shaping the upward flick of a cat eye.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
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 4 Oct. 2025.
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