1
as in to sharpen
to make sharp or sharper
honed the knife's blade to razor-like sharpness honed his crossword-puzzle skills by reading the dictionary as though it were a thrilling novel
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2
as in to rub
to make smooth by friction
honed the edge of the axe until it was amazingly sharp
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hone
Goffman honed these ideas as a doctoral student on the remote Shetland Islands of Scotland.
—
Literary Hub, 2 Mar. 2026
Sewell, meanwhile, said the CBC has held several all-day sessions on the topic of voting rights to help hone its response.
—Justin Papp, CNBC, 27 Feb. 2026
Looking at the full year, the picture brightened as SMCP honed its full-price strategy and concentrated on improving brand perception.
—Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 26 Feb. 2026
Prior to joining NBCUniversal, Orozco honed her craft working at The Late Show with David Letterman, The Wendy Williams Show, Wendy Style Squad and The Rachael Ray Show.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hone
Literary Hub, 2 Mar. 2026
Sewell, meanwhile, said the CBC has held several all-day sessions on the topic of voting rights to help hone its response.
—Justin Papp, CNBC, 27 Feb. 2026
Looking at the full year, the picture brightened as SMCP honed its full-price strategy and concentrated on improving brand perception.
—Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 26 Feb. 2026
Prior to joining NBCUniversal, Orozco honed her craft working at The Late Show with David Letterman, The Wendy Williams Show, Wendy Style Squad and The Rachael Ray Show.
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hone
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hone
Verb
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As your perceptive nature sharpens, teach through example by admitting your mistakes, then fixing them.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
10 Mar. 2026
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That is when boards start re-rating risks, lenders start sharpening pencils and capex slips down the priority list.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Dip a cloth in soapy water and wring it out, then rub the surface of each globe until clean.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
7 Mar. 2026
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This anti-chafing stick from MegaBabe is my go-to to prevent soreness in the inner thigh area, where legs tend to rub together.—
Terri Peters,
Parents,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The beverage program, led by Mariena Mercer Boarini, is polished and exacting without veering into theatrics.—
David Morris,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Mar. 2026
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Over his 30-year coaching career, Niko Medved has polished a preferred offensive playing style, fine-tuning it in his dozen years as a head coach.—
Andy Greder,
Twin Cities,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Age has a way of mellowing a person, sanding away their rough edges, leaving only their essence.—
Stephen Thomas Erlewine,
Pitchfork,
2 Mar. 2026
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Plants are very adaptable, tolerating a range of growing conditions from full sun to deep shade, clay to sand, and dry to occasionally wet soil.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The Trailblazers were grinding the whole second half, wearing down Harvard-Westlake players as the loud home fans cheered them on.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
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Tanker traffic through the strait has ground to a standstill as shippers fear attacks by Iran.—
Spencer Kimball,Sam Meredith,
CNBC,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Half a dozen Democrats, mostly younger progressives, have filed paperwork to challenge Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks), 71, who has represented parts of the San Fernando Valley for nearly 30 years.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
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For example, individual filers can receive up to $994, couples filing jointly can receive $1,491, and those providing essential care to SSI recipients can receive up to $498.—
Asher Notheis,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hone.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hone. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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