as in sharpened
having an edge thin enough to cut or pierce something
using a finely honed butcher knife will make cutting meat easier
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of honed
Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 4 May 2026
The blade was at least ten inches long and double-edged, honed on one side with a wavy scalloped finish, the other a jagged toothing like a lumberjack’s saw.
—Chang-Rae Lee, New Yorker, 3 May 2026
As founder of Celera Genomics in 1998, Venter honed his method of decoding—whole-genome shotgun sequencing—which can rapidly sequence different parts of the genome at the same time and then uses machine learning to reassemble them in the right order.
—Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 30 Apr. 2026
The tech has been around for decades but has been honed over time to no longer require patients to stay awake as doctors poke around in their brains.
—Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2026
The conductor Charlotte Rowan, who became the group’s artistic director only a few years ago, has not merely upheld its tradition of communal exactitude but honed it to a gleam.
—Justin Davidson, Vulture, 29 Apr. 2026
The winters were too cold and snowy for the local high school to field a baseball team, but Bill, who stood 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, was a gifted outfielder and honed his skills in sandlot games during the summer.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 26 Apr. 2026
McMullin did not stay very long in the group, which then — as a mostly acoustic duo — honed its songwriting and stagecraft chops sufficiently to build a loyal and increasingly larger San Diego following.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
There’s a restaurant-quality flair to the dishes that’s impressive for a new lodge, no doubt honed through the team’s past stints at Chem Chem.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Apr. 2026
Verb
The goalkeeper honed his craft, making 40 appearances for the club.
—Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 4 May 2026
The blade was at least ten inches long and double-edged, honed on one side with a wavy scalloped finish, the other a jagged toothing like a lumberjack’s saw.
—Chang-Rae Lee, New Yorker, 3 May 2026
As founder of Celera Genomics in 1998, Venter honed his method of decoding—whole-genome shotgun sequencing—which can rapidly sequence different parts of the genome at the same time and then uses machine learning to reassemble them in the right order.
—Claire Cameron, Scientific American, 30 Apr. 2026
The tech has been around for decades but has been honed over time to no longer require patients to stay awake as doctors poke around in their brains.
—Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2026
The conductor Charlotte Rowan, who became the group’s artistic director only a few years ago, has not merely upheld its tradition of communal exactitude but honed it to a gleam.
—Justin Davidson, Vulture, 29 Apr. 2026
The winters were too cold and snowy for the local high school to field a baseball team, but Bill, who stood 6-foot-2, 200 pounds, was a gifted outfielder and honed his skills in sandlot games during the summer.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 26 Apr. 2026
McMullin did not stay very long in the group, which then — as a mostly acoustic duo — honed its songwriting and stagecraft chops sufficiently to build a loyal and increasingly larger San Diego following.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
There’s a restaurant-quality flair to the dishes that’s impressive for a new lodge, no doubt honed through the team’s past stints at Chem Chem.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for honed
Verb
-
That dual perspective sharpened his awareness of identity and access.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
4 May 2026
-
The exit comes as global agencies face growing criticism for relying on offshore models that some African leaders and policymakers say misread local realities — a debate sharpened just this year by Afreximbank’s public break with Fitch.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
4 May 2026
Verb
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Justin Brazeau skated over to the Penguins captain and rubbed the back of his noggin for good measure.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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Kuroda mentioned other small incidents that rubbed him the wrong way as well.—
Robert McGreevy,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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To her surprise, Gary loves the idea of getting away from their terrible clients and neighbors, but Orson, who’s lately taken a sharp-right turn to the manosphere, is having none of it.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
3 May 2026
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That moment, however, didn’t come without criticism, and Seymour still remembers the sharp commentary that came as a result of the exaggerated hairstyle.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
3 May 2026
Verb
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This Lillusory set is polished and put together, but oh-so-comfortable for travel.—
Aashna Gheewalla,
PEOPLE,
3 May 2026
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Plus, each piece looks just as polished worn separately as together, between the soft, drapey, cropped wide-leg pants and silky-smooth top that feels ultra-soft to the touch.—
Julia Morlino,
Travel + Leisure,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Besides the lawsuit from the tribes, NDN Collective and other environmental groups filed a request for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to halt the project.—
Sarah Raza,
Los Angeles Times,
5 May 2026
-
No formal charges have been filed in the case.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
5 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Honed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/honed. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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