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
  • The Duchess of Edinburgh even got hands-on experience shaping and polishing a quartz gemstone.
    — Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Before Bay Area readers start polishing their debate trophies, remember these studies are conversation starters, not final verdicts.
    — James Ward, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of polishing
Verb
  • Some of these practices have been reported on before, such as rubbing deodorant against colored pages from magazines to make eye shadow.
    — Elizabeth Gulino, Allure, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The bigger claim making the rounds, that a few minutes of face rubbing can quiet your body’s stress response, is where dermatologists urge a little caution.
    — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of rubbing
Verb
  • There are some great deals on leave-in conditioner and hair masks, too, like this smoothing formula from L’Oréal Paris, plus strand-thickening formulas that can help add density and control shedding in thinning areas.
    — Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 7 Oct. 2026
  • When styling this haircut, use a smoothing serum or oil, which will come in handy after the hair is dry.
    — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 27 Sep. 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 Oct. 2026.

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