1
as in sharpens
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 rubs
to make smooth by friction
honed the edge of the axe until it was amazingly sharp
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Recent Examples of hones
To survive a ruthless winnowing—to go from one of about 16,000 high-school quarterbacks each year to one of the 10 good ones in the NFL to one of the three or so each generation who earn the Hall of Fame’s gold jacket—hones certain traits within them and strips others away.
—
Seth Wickersham, The Atlantic, 8 Sep. 2025
Seth Wickersham, The Atlantic, 8 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hones
Verb
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Many gig workers also operate across multiple brands and industries, spurring a cross-pollination of ideas that sharpens their work, fuels continuous improvement, and creates a more empathetic, modern approach to customer experience.—
Gary Drenik,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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Capital might fuel expansion, but the process also sharpens leadership skills, deepens industry relationships and often reveals operational blind spots.—
Jessica Billingsley,
Rolling Stone,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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As the moon clashes with Mars, a partner’s behavior rubs you the wrong way.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
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Lenker, in plaid, rubs her eyes; James Krivchenia leans forward, sparky and alert; Meek, outdoors in the Topanga sunshine, wears cycling glasses and a frowzy hat.—
Emma Madden,
Pitchfork,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Too often, the buying journey still grinds like an outdated gearbox.—
Kate Hardcastle,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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As the summer season grinds to a near halt, several holdover titles rounded out the top five.—
Rebecca Rubin,
Variety,
24 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Kirk was one of the slate of Republicans who called for more transparency around the Jeffrey Epstein files in a rare moment of discord within the party.—
Kinsey Crowley,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
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Cole's nonprofit guides people through the PPO process at the Wayne County Circuit Court, and files the orders on their behalf.—
Nushrat Rahman,
Freep.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hones.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hones. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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