1
as in sharpening
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rubbing
to make smooth by friction
honed the edge of the axe until it was amazingly sharp
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of honing
The hands-on, immersive experience assisted in honing space weather forecasting activities, not only for Artemis 2 but also the future.
—
Leonard David, Space.com, 30 Mar. 2026
But first, what’s the deal with honing?
—Jesse Raub, Bon Appetit Magazine, 30 Mar. 2026
The rocker spent two years honing his talents on the trumpet for Honora, an instrument that fired him up in his youth, a time when Dizzy Gillespie was his hero and his father’s jazz albums were his musical candy.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 27 Mar. 2026
The first step in honing this mindset is to figure out your starting point, Chopra says.
—Andee Tagle, NPR, 27 Mar. 2026
Millet has been honing the concept since 2023.
—Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
As well as honing its creative vision over the years, Botto is also increasingly autonomous.
—Stephy Chung, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
It could be described as a genre about flailing white people, the one that gave rise to Greta Gerwig in Frances Ha and Hannah Takes the Stairs and inspired the slightly younger Lena Dunham in honing the I-want-to-dissolve-into-my-seat-with-embarrassment humor of Girls.
—Jada Yuan, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
Cassidy is blessed with a unique blend of creativity, technical skill, and an unwavering commitment to honing her craft.
—Heide Janssen, Oc Register, 15 Mar. 2026
Leonard David, Space.com, 30 Mar. 2026
But first, what’s the deal with honing?
—Jesse Raub, Bon Appetit Magazine, 30 Mar. 2026
The rocker spent two years honing his talents on the trumpet for Honora, an instrument that fired him up in his youth, a time when Dizzy Gillespie was his hero and his father’s jazz albums were his musical candy.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 27 Mar. 2026
The first step in honing this mindset is to figure out your starting point, Chopra says.
—Andee Tagle, NPR, 27 Mar. 2026
Millet has been honing the concept since 2023.
—Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
As well as honing its creative vision over the years, Botto is also increasingly autonomous.
—Stephy Chung, CNN Money, 26 Mar. 2026
It could be described as a genre about flailing white people, the one that gave rise to Greta Gerwig in Frances Ha and Hannah Takes the Stairs and inspired the slightly younger Lena Dunham in honing the I-want-to-dissolve-into-my-seat-with-embarrassment humor of Girls.
—Jada Yuan, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
Cassidy is blessed with a unique blend of creativity, technical skill, and an unwavering commitment to honing her craft.
—Heide Janssen, Oc Register, 15 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for honing
Verb
-
With even pressure, slowly draw the knife through the sharpening slot from heel to tip, maintaining the same angle parallel to the counter.—
Jesse Raub,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Waning support for Israel, and increasingly bipartisan disapproval of the war in Iran, has loomed large over the primary elections, with candidates increasingly spurning the support of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and sharpening their criticism of the country.—
Grace Gilson,
Sun Sentinel,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The slightly higher cut helps prevent sneakers from rubbing your ankle or the top of your foot.—
Malia Griggs,
Glamour,
31 Mar. 2026
-
So, the timing for Mortensen to be making his second show debut right as his ex’s is being pulled off the air is rubbing fans the wrong way.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Molino Los Hermanos hopes to start grinding in Uptown this summer.—
Louisa Kung Liu Chu,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
-
In recent years, several demonstrations have expanded onto adjacent freeways, grinding traffic to a halt.—
Cierra Morgan,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Remove all oil residue from the nail beds before polishing.—
Ariana Yaptangco,
Glamour,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Harsh Chemicals and Abrasive Cleaners Avoid using harsh chemicals and abrasive cleaners when cleaning and polishing wood flooring.—
Maria Sabella,
The Spruce,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The amount beneficiaries receive varies based on several factors, including the number of people filing.—
Asher Notheis,
The Washington Examiner,
29 Mar. 2026
-
For married couples filing jointly, the phaseout begins at $200,000 and ends at $250,000.—
Kate Dore, CFP®, EA,Lorie Konish,Kamaron McNair,Greg Iacurci,Mike Winters,Sarah Agostino,
CNBC,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This could be older lead from repairs and repainting involving sanding down old lead paint, usually not from a fire.—
Steve Scauzillo,
Daily News,
28 Mar. 2026
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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
Verb
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These provide enough force for buffing out scratches without further damaging the surface.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
7 Mar. 2026
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Anything above 220 is considered fine and works well for smoothing edges and buffing the nail surface to a polished finish.—
Lily Wohlner,
Allure,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Honing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/honing. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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