as in sharpened
having an edge thin enough to cut or pierce something
using a finely honed butcher knife will make cutting meat easier
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in whetted
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rubbed
to make smooth by friction
honed the edge of the axe until it was amazingly sharp
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of honed
Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2025
The 75-year-old Lavrov has also honed a brash, confrontational style of diplomacy that has often matched Putin’s imperial aspirations.
—Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
The story’s narrator has walked away from the disillusionment of divorce with not just her dignity intact, but also with her voice honed.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 6 Nov. 2025
While the Psyche researchers honed the logistics and mechanics of sampling Lepidoptera, a different European Lepidoptera project was quietly making a technical advance that could resonate throughout the Earth BioGenome Project.
—Glenn Zorpette, IEEE Spectrum, 4 Nov. 2025
Frank’s Brentford squad was perfected and honed over years of excellent recruitment.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Castellanos has honed this skill through a career that has been embedded in two worlds.
—William Jones, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025
Day’s a Sundance Lab fellow, SXSW mentor and Ryan Murphy Half Initiative alum who honed her improv comedy skills at Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 27 Oct. 2025
Think soft neutrals, honed oak floors, and bespoke furnishings that quietly echo the building’s Japanese sensibility.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
Tesla’s approach leans heavily on large-scale data, neural networks, and perception models honed on millions of driving hours.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 7 Nov. 2025
The 75-year-old Lavrov has also honed a brash, confrontational style of diplomacy that has often matched Putin’s imperial aspirations.
—Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
The story’s narrator has walked away from the disillusionment of divorce with not just her dignity intact, but also with her voice honed.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 6 Nov. 2025
While the Psyche researchers honed the logistics and mechanics of sampling Lepidoptera, a different European Lepidoptera project was quietly making a technical advance that could resonate throughout the Earth BioGenome Project.
—Glenn Zorpette, IEEE Spectrum, 4 Nov. 2025
Frank’s Brentford squad was perfected and honed over years of excellent recruitment.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
Castellanos has honed this skill through a career that has been embedded in two worlds.
—William Jones, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025
Day’s a Sundance Lab fellow, SXSW mentor and Ryan Murphy Half Initiative alum who honed her improv comedy skills at Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre.
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 27 Oct. 2025
Think soft neutrals, honed oak floors, and bespoke furnishings that quietly echo the building’s Japanese sensibility.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 24 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for honed
Verb
-
His agility had been sharpened, it was said, by the ballet lessons imposed by his coach at Lucchese, Ernő Erbstein—like Weisz, one of the many Hungarian Jews who shaped Italian football between the early 1920s and the imposition of the Nuremberg Laws in 1938.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Elliott said that since the office has sharpened its tone, donations have poured in from millions of supporters.—
Brittany Shepherd,
ABC News,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Sometimes, Nat told me, Christian had rubbed some of the estrogen jelly into his skin.—
James Marcus,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Her words rubbed viewers and other contestants the wrong way, prompting a spat with fellow contestant Debbie.—
Jalen Williams,
Freep.com,
30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The numbers mark a sharp reversal from a spike in violence during the worst years of the COVID-19 pandemic.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The blazer of Middleton’s look included sharp shoulders with sinuous lapels and angular pockets at the waist.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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According to Brown, after stringent authentication processes are followed, jewelry is typically polished before being listed, while handbags are professionally cleaned.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Cozy, slouchy, and still polished enough to feel intentional?—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The sheriff’s office has rejected Cal-OSHA’s application of the law, and last summer filed a lawsuit in Yuba Superior Court challenging the subpoenas.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
9 Jan. 2026
-
According to a complaint filed by the DA’s Office in the murder for hire case, Taylor was promised $500 to kill Preston Holmes.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Honed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/honed. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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