1
as in to sharpen
to make sharp or sharper
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
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2
as in to rub
to make smooth by friction
honed the edge of the axe until it was amazingly sharp
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Recent Examples of hone
Goffman honed these ideas as a doctoral student on the remote Shetland Islands of Scotland.
—
Literary Hub, 2 Mar. 2026
Sewell, meanwhile, said the CBC has held several all-day sessions on the topic of voting rights to help hone its response.
—Justin Papp, CNBC, 27 Feb. 2026
Looking at the full year, the picture brightened as SMCP honed its full-price strategy and concentrated on improving brand perception.
—Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 26 Feb. 2026
Prior to joining NBCUniversal, Orozco honed her craft working at The Late Show with David Letterman, The Wendy Williams Show, Wendy Style Squad and The Rachael Ray Show.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hone
Literary Hub, 2 Mar. 2026
Sewell, meanwhile, said the CBC has held several all-day sessions on the topic of voting rights to help hone its response.
—Justin Papp, CNBC, 27 Feb. 2026
Looking at the full year, the picture brightened as SMCP honed its full-price strategy and concentrated on improving brand perception.
—Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 26 Feb. 2026
Prior to joining NBCUniversal, Orozco honed her craft working at The Late Show with David Letterman, The Wendy Williams Show, Wendy Style Squad and The Rachael Ray Show.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hone
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hone
Verb
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As your perceptive nature sharpens, teach through example by admitting your mistakes, then fixing them.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
10 Mar. 2026
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That is when boards start re-rating risks, lenders start sharpening pencils and capex slips down the priority list.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Gently rub away any remaining margarine with a paper towel.—
Annabelle Canela,
Parents,
14 Mar. 2026
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Start by cutting off any branches that are diseased, dead, or broken, as well as those that are crossing and rubbing against each other.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Spritz on just a little and polish with a rag or cloth to make the leaves of artificial plants shine, giving them the illusion of being real.—
Hallie Milstein,
Southern Living,
12 Mar. 2026
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In one scene, her character polishes and admires the ring, allowing viewers a closer look at the remarkable stone.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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After drying and sanding, the pieces are sealed and painted with complex patterns, geometric designs, and Zapotec symbols.—
Patricia Doherty,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Mar. 2026
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But finishing work — sanding and shaping — generated heavy dust.—
Dr. Céline Gounder,
CBS News,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Trailblazers were grinding the whole second half, wearing down Harvard-Westlake players as the loud home fans cheered them on.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
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Tanker traffic through the strait has ground to a standstill as shippers fear attacks by Iran.—
Spencer Kimball,Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The amount beneficiaries receive varies based on several factors, including the number of people filing.—
Asher Notheis,
The Washington Examiner,
16 Mar. 2026
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The association filed several lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the fee, including one that remains pending that argues there should be no cost for renouncing one’s citizenship.—
Matthew Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hone.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hone. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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