as in polishing
to make smooth or glossy usually by repeatedly applying surface pressure
burnished the floor of the ballroom to a soft luster
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of burnishing
Murdaugh’s father, a grandfather and a great-grandfather were each elected as top prosecutors in the region, burnishing a family reputation that eventually crumbled.
—
Daniel Arkin,
NBC news,
13 May 2026
Shapiro brushed off questions — and Republican criticism — about burnishing his credentials for a White House run.
—
CBS News,
25 Apr. 2026
The Wolverines lost to Duke, burnishing the Blue Devils’ resume.
—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
5 Apr. 2026
He became known for poaching clients, extracting heroic sums for their work, and burnishing their reputations abroad.
—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Meghan signed with talent agency WME in April 2023, in hopes of burnishing her profile in the business.
—
Matt Donnelly,
Variety,
17 Mar. 2026
And Willard’s overt emphasis on velocity led to serious gains in Boston, with the Red Sox burnishing their reputation for pitching development during his two years there.
—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
12 Mar. 2026
The legacy of the Milan Cortina Winter Games is both physical, in new facilities and infrastructure, and intangible, burnishing Milan’s global image.
—
Colleen Barry,
Fortune,
24 Feb. 2026
Most notably, Paxton led numerous legal challenges against the Biden administration over immigration and border policies, often succeeding and burnishing his credentials as a conservative crusader.
—
Thomas Beaumont,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Feb. 2026
Daniel Arkin,
NBC news,
13 May 2026
Shapiro brushed off questions — and Republican criticism — about burnishing his credentials for a White House run.
—
CBS News,
25 Apr. 2026
The Wolverines lost to Duke, burnishing the Blue Devils’ resume.
—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
5 Apr. 2026
He became known for poaching clients, extracting heroic sums for their work, and burnishing their reputations abroad.
—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Meghan signed with talent agency WME in April 2023, in hopes of burnishing her profile in the business.
—
Matt Donnelly,
Variety,
17 Mar. 2026
And Willard’s overt emphasis on velocity led to serious gains in Boston, with the Red Sox burnishing their reputation for pitching development during his two years there.
—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
12 Mar. 2026
The legacy of the Milan Cortina Winter Games is both physical, in new facilities and infrastructure, and intangible, burnishing Milan’s global image.
—
Colleen Barry,
Fortune,
24 Feb. 2026
Most notably, Paxton led numerous legal challenges against the Biden administration over immigration and border policies, often succeeding and burnishing his credentials as a conservative crusader.
—
Thomas Beaumont,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for burnishing
Verb
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Parker Kitternan was busy at the console of the church's pipe organ, polishing his musical tribute for the weekend.
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The deceptively roomy, buttery-smooth leather style features a convertible crossbody strap, metal feet, interior pockets, and an outfit-polishing silhouette.
Verb
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The bumper was rubbing the tire and a headlight looked to be dragging.
-
Working with the fingertip has a sensuosity which is erotic and raw; there is something very direct about this process of drawing, rubbing, scratching and erasing.
Verb
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Its major selling points include the stretchy and soft material, wide straps, side-smoothing panels, and wireless design.
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It can be used as a concealer, contour, or foundation, has medium coverage, is pore-blurring, texture-smoothing, and imperfection-camouflaging.
Cite this Entry
“Burnishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burnishing. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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