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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
And music videos were really a great way to hone the craft and practice.
—
Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2025
There, users have been honing methods for getting Grok Imagine to generate explicit adult content — and the latest update has apparently supercharged their efforts.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 8 Oct. 2025
Little ones who are new to riding can hone their balance, gross motor skills, and confidence through riding a balance bike.
—Anja Webb, Parents, 7 Oct. 2025
Contemporary fiction as it is practiced today in many mainstream forms is honed to that rapid symbolic interpretation.
—Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hone
Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2025
There, users have been honing methods for getting Grok Imagine to generate explicit adult content — and the latest update has apparently supercharged their efforts.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 8 Oct. 2025
Little ones who are new to riding can hone their balance, gross motor skills, and confidence through riding a balance bike.
—Anja Webb, Parents, 7 Oct. 2025
Contemporary fiction as it is practiced today in many mainstream forms is honed to that rapid symbolic interpretation.
—Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 5 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hone
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hone
Verb
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For the diaspora characters, hearing the lyrics sharpens both their feelings of solidarity and helplessness.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Look under the surface, and the picture sharpens.—
Katica Roy,
Fortune,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Surely, that will rub some the wrong way, but the Tide have now beaten three teams that haven’t lost to anyone else in Georgia, Vanderbilt and Missouri.—
Ralph D. Russo,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
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The traction offered stability, even in wet conditions, and there was no soreness or rubbing.—
Averi Baudler,
PEOPLE,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Anthropic updated the rule in July, allowing prospective hires to polish their resumes, cover letters, and applications with the advanced tech.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
12 Oct. 2025
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Egos will not be polished but pushed to one side as Tuchel looks for chemistry and cohesion in his group.—
Rob Tanner,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Additional changes in the new beach include a stabilizing stone wall, dry prairie grasses to deter birds and sand with larger grain size.—
Maia Pandey,
jsonline.com,
19 Sep. 2025
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Reiss’ script was a Black List find that either wasn’t reworked enough by committee or so sanded down in the studio churn that all personality was drained in the process.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The Indiana Fever, a part of Pacers Sports & Entertainment, have been ground zero for the W’s soaring financial standing.—
Kurt Badenhausen,
Sportico.com,
16 Oct. 2025
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The breaches come as the air travel industry has been dealing with an onslaught of cyberattacks that have caused disruptions for customers and ground some of the world’s largest airports to a halt.—
Martin Goillandeau,
CNN Money,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The doctors and the cat file out, leaving the dog alone.—
Bruce Headlam,
New Yorker,
13 Oct. 2025
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Prosecutors in Arapahoe and Weld counties filed at a lower rate than in Denver.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
13 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hone.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hone. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
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