as in polishing
to make smooth or glossy usually by repeatedly applying surface pressure
burnished the floor of the ballroom to a soft luster
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Recent Examples of burnishing
Sharon details how this squad helps Anthropic’s business, too, burnishing its reputation as the AI lab that cares the most about AI safety and perhaps winning it a more receptive ear in the corridors of power.
—
Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 9 Sep. 2025
Daniella Pierson has cozied up to everyone from Diane von Furstenberg to Selena Gomez, burnishing her image as her businesses unraveled.
—Monica Hunter-Hart, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 9 Sep. 2025
Daniella Pierson has cozied up to everyone from Diane von Furstenberg to Selena Gomez, burnishing her image as her businesses unraveled.
—Monica Hunter-Hart, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for burnishing
Verb
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This is why authorities at the National Park Service, which maintains the statue, have repeatedly rejected any notion of polishing away the green covering.—
Theo Burman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
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Silver Centerpieces For anyone who's ever gotten stuck polishing silver, there's good news.—
Heather Bien,
Southern Living,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But to have everyone there, rubbing elbows and being just as outlandish and quirky as ever, three decades ago just felt off.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
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Other signs that your cat is content and relaxed with you include kneading, and head rubbing and bunting.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Gallant, sleeveless and heavily tattooed, began slowly smoothing a white sheet atop his model’s shoulders.—
Sarah Larson,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
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The multi-styler comes with all kinds of attachments, including several long barrels, two smoothing brushes, a round volumizing brush, and a smoothing dryer.—
Isabel Garcia,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Burnishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burnishing. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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