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
Bailey honed his craft in the theater, starting at a young age, before graduating to television.
—
Olivia-Anne Cleary, Time, 30 Sep. 2025
Sax worked tirelessly on his baseball craft, growing from a 5-foot-3, 105-pound high school freshman into a brick, relentlessly honing his skills and driven by the the fear that his career could be over in a flash.
—Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 28 Sep. 2025
To do this, focus on uniquely human capabilities in your employees and hone those skills.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2025
Holding firm Although Russia has been honing its tactics, Moldova has also learned lessons from previous campaigns.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hone
Olivia-Anne Cleary, Time, 30 Sep. 2025
Sax worked tirelessly on his baseball craft, growing from a 5-foot-3, 105-pound high school freshman into a brick, relentlessly honing his skills and driven by the the fear that his career could be over in a flash.
—Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 28 Sep. 2025
To do this, focus on uniquely human capabilities in your employees and hone those skills.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 28 Sep. 2025
Holding firm Although Russia has been honing its tactics, Moldova has also learned lessons from previous campaigns.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hone
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hone
Verb
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An editorial in People's Daily argued that China still lacks in high-level talent needed to sharpen its technological edge, brushing aside fears of excessive immigration.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
1 Oct. 2025
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Richard and Grace was founded on the philosophy that with chaos comes unity, a belief Allen sharpened in moments of global protest, from Black Lives Matter to Palestine.—
Essence,
Essence,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Once the brush is clean, gently rub the bristles on a clean hand towel.—
Cody Godwin,
USA Today,
5 Oct. 2025
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Yet another reason to make this rub yourself.—
Melinda Salchert,
Southern Living,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Venus ends its Virgo run in your communication house, polishing your words with discernment.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
5 Oct. 2025
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Or a set of silverware to polish when stainless steel works fine?—
Bea L. Hines,
Miami Herald,
3 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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And so, to Paris, where the tectonic plates of a historic reshuffling of creative directors is grinding into place.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
2 Oct. 2025
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The songwriting process for the album’s breakout hit started with the track’s grinding post-chorus breakdown, which Walter had created on a whim.—
Stephen Daw,
Billboard,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The judge did not rule on the facts of the case, but rather that the suit should have been filed in New Zealand and not Wisconsin.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
6 Oct. 2025
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Why are so many retirees filing for Social Security earlier?—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
5 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hone.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hone. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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