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
  • Sangare is not the finished product, but Brentford’s track record of finding and polishing young players with high potential casts this move in a promising light.
    — Cerys Jones, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Born into a Krymchak Jewish family in Haifa and raised poor in Brownsville, Brooklyn, Bakshi entered the animation industry at just 18, polishing dirt from cels at Terrytoons.
    — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of polishing
Verb
  • For instance, Qidi had to include a piece of Velcro to prevent the Polar Cooler tube from rubbing against the glass surface inside the top cover.
    — Michael Lydick, PC Magazine, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Republicans are rubbing their hands in glee at the neocommunist advance in their opposing party.
    — Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of rubbing
Verb
  • The combination bristles feel amazing on my scalp (like the best head scratch ever) while also smoothing my incredibly frizzy hair.
    — Kiana Murden, Vogue, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Water from the lakes is also used to generate hydroelectric power and to ensure a steady, predictable flow of water downstream, smoothing the water supply during droughts and when snowpack in the Rocky Mountains is low.
    — Matthew Glasser, ABC News, 16 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 23 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on furbishing

Nglish: Translation of furbishing for Spanish Speakers

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