as in to polish
to make smooth or glossy usually by repeatedly applying surface pressure
the warrior furbished his sword and shield so that they glinted in the sunlight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for furbish
Verb
-
Original frescoes were restored, marble was polished, and the color scheme was lightened up with a silver-and-blue palette accenting the white and cream walls.—
Laura Itzkowitz,
Robb Report,
4 June 2026 -
Expect to see even tinier dots and minuscule French tips atop jelly polishes in summery shades like fuchsia and blood orange.—
Annie Blay-Tettey,
Allure,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
Inoculation involved taking pus from a pock of someone with a not-very-severe case of smallpox, making a cut in the arm of the person to be inoculated, and rubbing the pus into the cut.—
Diana Gitig,
ArsTechnica,
30 May 2026
-
And that really rubbed committee members last cycle the wrong way and may have worked against them.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
Fortunately, just then, Marijan entered the living room, with her hair smoothed down and her makeup reapplied, wearing a hand-stitched abaya from Mecca.—
Jamil Jan Kochai,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
-
In turn, these ingredients will firm the skin, visibly smooth fine lines, impart a youthful glow, and provide deep nourishment.—
Reece Andavolgyi,
InStyle,
31 May 2026
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Furbish.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/furbish. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
