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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for furbishing
Verb
-
While rivals like the Tacoma and Colorado constantly reinvent themselves, Nissan tends to take the long road by refining, tweaking, and polishing instead of blowing everything up every few years.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
3 May 2026 -
Various owners have taken the reins over the years, but all were committed to preserving the bar’s old-school character rather than polishing, upgrading, or updating it away.—
Skye Sherman,
Southern Living,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Harvest quinoa by hitting the flower stalks against a hard surface or rubbing them between your hands to separate the seeds from the flower parts or chaff.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
27 Apr. 2026
-
An employee washed hands for less than 10 seconds at the sushi bar, and the inspector wants to see 10-15 seconds of your hands rubbing each other.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Duffy has said the system could help planners spot problems weeks in advance, smoothing schedules before delays begin to stack up.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
9 May 2026
-
The smoothing fabric is flattering at the waist and thighs, and the flare bottoms provide just enough of a pop of style to make these jeans fun, but still appropriate for just about any setting.—
Taylor Fox,
Travel + Leisure,
2 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
“Furbishing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/furbishing. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
