furbishing

verb

present participle of furbish
as in polishing
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for furbishing
  1. polishing
  2. rubbing
  3. smoothing
Verb
  • Ilham Aliyev continued his father’s dictatorial legacy, imprisoning his critics and enriching his family and cronies, while polishing his country’s image by hosting Formula One events and the Eurovision Song Contest.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 July 2026
  • For deeper etching, a polishing compound and pad may restore the finish.
    — Rachel Silva, Martha Stewart, 25 July 2026
Definition of polishing
Verb
  • Republicans are rubbing their hands in glee at the neocommunist advance in their opposing party.
    — Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Rather than rubbing the stain deeper into the fabric, blotting motions will gently remove as much product as possible.
    — Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of rubbing
Verb
  • Brook actually recommends skipping volumizing sprays—which can make dense hair feel bulky—and instead smoothing a lightweight oil like Biolage All-In-One Multi-Benefit Oil through the lengths for shine and frizz control.
    — Marci Robin, Allure, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Whether or not motion smoothing metadata is needed is up to the content creators to decide (and for forum threads to debate).
    — John Higgins, The Verge, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of smoothing
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.

Browse Nearby Words

furbishes
furbishing
furies
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Cite this Entry

“Furbishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/furbishing. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on furbishing

Nglish: Translation of furbishing for Spanish Speakers

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