honing

verb

present participle of hone
1
as in sharpening
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rubbing
to make smooth by friction honed the edge of the axe until it was amazingly sharp

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of honing Pre-reading skills, for example, are easier to develop in the language a child has been honing since birth. — Kate Sequeira, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026 However, the strategy is less about reinventing Rag & Bone than honing its house codes for both retail and product. — Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 23 Sep. 2026 Some of us would like to spend less time cursing sun damage, some of us have been honing a gentle routine for managing acne for years, and some of us want to smooth without exacerbating rosacea or eczema. — Elizabeth Siegel, Allure, 17 Sep. 2026 Hernandez has spent the last five years honing his skills as a mixed-martial arts fighter, winning his way through professional matches, all while holding his primary job as a sheriff’s deputy. — Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 17 Sep. 2026 Dassin brings real tension and realism to that section of the film, honing some of the gritty procedural elements that would come to be employed by directors like Michael Mann. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2026 Jessica has been honing her skills on the clay from a young age. — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 31 Aug. 2026 The action star has been honing his tough, stoic hero bit for going on 25 years. — Katie Walsh, Boston Herald, 20 Aug. 2026 The group’s fourth album Welcome to my Blue Sky was released in the spring of 2025, one which finds the group further honing their melodic, hooky songwriting. — Jim Ryan, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for honing
  1. sharpening
  2. rubbing
  3. grinding
  4. polishing
  5. filing
  6. sanding
  7. buffing
Verb
  • According to Disney, the hiring of Anand illustrates that D’Amaro is sharpening the company’s focus on technology as a growth driver.
    — Todd Spangler, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Arik compared the process to repeatedly sharpening a pencil until only a tiny IKEA-style pencil remained.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of sharpening
Verb
  • The bigger claim making the rounds, that a few minutes of face rubbing can quiet your body’s stress response, is where dermatologists urge a little caution.
    — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 1 Oct. 2026
  • In this case, there’s no swiping or rubbing at all—just let the pads sit and soak in for a few minutes before gently patting in the excess.
    — Jenny Jin, Glamour, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of rubbing
Verb
  • Hitler wanted more dead, but his early lightning victories—Poland beaten in weeks, France in forty days—had turned into a grinding nightmare for the Nazis.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The Raunchiest Miley Cyrus shocked viewers by stripping down to a nude bikini top and briefs and grinding, twerking and thrusting on fellow performer Robin Thicke at the 2013 show in one of the raciest performances in MTV history.
    — Kate Hogan, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of grinding
Verb
  • The Duchess of Edinburgh even got hands-on experience shaping and polishing a quartz gemstone.
    — Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Before Bay Area readers start polishing their debate trophies, remember these studies are conversation starters, not final verdicts.
    — James Ward, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of polishing
Verb
  • McKinsey responded to his wife's court filing by requesting a domestic violence protection order against her and filing for divorce.
    — TERRY CHEA, Arkansas Online, 30 Sep. 2026
  • People would claim the Saver’s Match with a new Form 8880-A when filing their 2027 tax return in 2028, according to the IRS.
    — Sarah Agostino, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of filing
Verb
  • The roughly 7,300-square-foot residence has been adapted for contemporary living without completely sanding away what came before.
    — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Bass delves into the ease (or difficulty) of loving people in terms anyone could grasp, sanding down the uniqueness of Cyrus’s viewpoint.
    — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of sanding
Verb
  • If the copper is heavily tarnished, let the toothpaste’s active ingredients work on the patina for ten minutes or so before buffing.
    — Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Classes and skills lean into different styles of play; Astromech droids are entirely support-focused, generating AP (action points) and buffing the party, while the Assault is focused on heavy damage and drawing aggro.
    — Hayes Madsen, Space.com, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of buffing

Browse Nearby Words

honeys
honing
honing in (on)
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Cite this Entry

“Honing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/honing. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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