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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hone
Software providers for budget and premium TVs are honing their ad skills, which requires advancing their ability to collect user data.
—
ArsTechnica, 18 June 2025
People in your circle possess valuable insights and might suggest training programs, workshops, or conferences that could hone your skills further.
—Johnny C. Taylor Jr, USA Today, 17 June 2025
In the sports context, irreparable harm is sometimes argued in the context of an athlete excluded from playing in that the athlete will lose the chance to play in games that will never be played again and lose the opportunity to hone their skills.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 12 June 2025
Following their debut album Music in 1993, the band took to the road to tour and hone their performance skills.
—Devin Robertson, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for hone
ArsTechnica, 18 June 2025
People in your circle possess valuable insights and might suggest training programs, workshops, or conferences that could hone your skills further.
—Johnny C. Taylor Jr, USA Today, 17 June 2025
In the sports context, irreparable harm is sometimes argued in the context of an athlete excluded from playing in that the athlete will lose the chance to play in games that will never be played again and lose the opportunity to hone their skills.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 12 June 2025
Following their debut album Music in 1993, the band took to the road to tour and hone their performance skills.
—Devin Robertson, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for hone
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hone
Verb
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This sharpens the focus on customer outcomes and transforms vague ideas into concrete solutions.—
Jaime Vallés,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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When Mercury enters your sign on June 26, your ability to communicate your needs and boundaries sharpens.—
Meghan Rose,
Glamour,
1 July 2025
Verb
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Once the eggs are harvested, they’re gently rubbed over a metal screen to remove them from the fish’s ovaries, then rinsed, dried and salted before being packed away in blue tins.—
Kylie Williams,
Miami Herald,
29 June 2025
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Gently rub while rinsing to remove any dirt or excess fuzz.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
28 June 2025
Verb
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Other procedures like polishing restorations, ceramic crowns, using elastics, orthodontic appliances, and so on can generate particles.—
Suwanna Gauntlett Upjohn,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
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Most people think stand-up comics spend decades polishing their act to get good at telling jokes.—
Nate Jackson,
Los Angeles Times,
23 June 2025
Verb
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Hand-turned and sanded from a durable walnut wood, this one is finished with a food-safe beeswax oil blend, according to East Fork Pottery.—
Kate McGregor,
Architectural Digest,
17 June 2025
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But the popularity of sanding down the tension and defining characteristics out of romances has also inadvertently sanded down much of the character diversity.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
13 May 2025
Verb
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It’s made from grinding green tea leaves—which can be varying grades of quality—into a fine powder, which is then whisked with hot water to create a thick, frothy liquid.—
Devorah Lev-Tov,
Vogue,
20 June 2025
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The bark is stripped off the trees, dried, and ground into the brown powder that ends up in your spice rack.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 June 2025
Verb
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Newsweek has reached out to the office of interim U.S. Attorney Alina Habba, who filed the charges, via email on Wednesday afternoon.—
Gabe Whisnant,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 June 2025
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Before the lawsuit was filed, Lowery brought her concerns to the Community Relations Committee, which has power to investigate such complaints and looked into hers, determining that defendants violated discrimination law, the lawsuit says.—
Damenica Ellis,
Charlotte Observer,
25 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hone.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hone. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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