Synonyms of honing

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

• sharpening
• grinding
• edging
• whetting
• stoning
• stropping
• filing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• blunting
• polishing
• dulling
• smoothing
• buffing
• rounding
• burnishing
• glossing

2

as in rubbing

to make smooth by friction

honed the edge of the axe until it was amazingly sharp

Synonyms & Similar Words

• rubbing
• polishing
• sharpening
• grinding
• filing
• sanding
• buffing
• scraping
• rasping
• scouring
• planing
• smoothing
• shining
• burnishing
• glossing
• sandblasting
• edging
• whetting
• stropping
• regrinding
• dressing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• scuffing
• roughening
• roughing (up)
• coarsening

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of honing

As the nation bonded as one over the past two weeks biting nails, screaming at wins, wincing at crashes and choking up at all the beautiful moments of Olympic competition, another group of athletes were – and still are – out honing their multi-level championship skills. —Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald, 25 Feb. 2026

Will Schoen and his scouting staff create a board that Aponte and Harbaugh then are part of tweaking and honing to the organization’s final plan for April? —Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 23 Feb. 2026

His newfound fame has proven to be a great source of both bemusement and validation for Cowan, who has been honing his craft in the background for years. —Ben Church, CNN Money, 19 Feb. 2026

Throughout their 52 years in operation as a family business, Elizabeth’s distinguished itself by honing concise and persuasive staff recommendations. —Jess Decourcy Hinds february 13, Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026

Headquartered south of Munich in Kochel, Germany, Nugget Schmiede got its start on the rental and sale side of the Ford Nugget, eventually honing its skills at customizing Ford's small camper van and developing aftermarket components and accessories for it. —New Atlas, 10 Feb. 2026

For those looking for something more immersive, the gardens also hold tea workshops that focus on tea blending and fine honing your tea sensory skills. —Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 6 Feb. 2026

Read on to learn why honing a resilience response can protect your heart long-term, and how to do just that. —Erica Sloan, SELF, 5 Feb. 2026

After a relatively quiet beginning to the year sitting alone in her tower, just honing her powers — and yes, dancing the night away at the Grammys and making her second Super Bowl appearance — Taylor Swift called upon us to pledge allegiance to her hands, her team and her vibes in 2025. —Denise Warner, Billboard, 29 Jan. 2026