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
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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
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Recent Examples of honing
Think of honing as maintenance, and sharpening as repair.
—
Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 29 Dec. 2025
The league is still honing its consistency with penalizing flopping, which can only add to the confusion Adelman mentioned when coaches are trying to ensure their players are in positions to play ball freely.
—James Jackson, New York Times, 21 Dec. 2025
After honing his craft at Disfrutar in Barcelona and Benu in San Francisco, Gigli returned home to reinterpret local traditions with modern precision.
—Laura May Todd, Vogue, 21 Dec. 2025
Rob Reiner's circle was wide and eclectic, spanning comedians honing punchlines and Oscar-winning actors and filmmakers shaping Hollywood itself.
—Jennifer Earl, CBS News, 19 Dec. 2025
Remarkably, he’s been honing his Handel for more than half a century.
—Matthew Gurewitsch, Air Mail, 13 Dec. 2025
Brooks’s years honing his craft writing prickly characters and witty repartee ensures that not all of this scans as mindless escapism.
—Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 10 Dec. 2025
Eleven has been training hard, honing her powers.
—Lorraine Ali, Boston Herald, 30 Nov. 2025
In Europe, resorts near glaciers in Austria and France provide reliably high-quality snow perfect for honing your tricks and maneuvers.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 29 Nov. 2025
Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 29 Dec. 2025
The league is still honing its consistency with penalizing flopping, which can only add to the confusion Adelman mentioned when coaches are trying to ensure their players are in positions to play ball freely.
—James Jackson, New York Times, 21 Dec. 2025
After honing his craft at Disfrutar in Barcelona and Benu in San Francisco, Gigli returned home to reinterpret local traditions with modern precision.
—Laura May Todd, Vogue, 21 Dec. 2025
Rob Reiner's circle was wide and eclectic, spanning comedians honing punchlines and Oscar-winning actors and filmmakers shaping Hollywood itself.
—Jennifer Earl, CBS News, 19 Dec. 2025
Remarkably, he’s been honing his Handel for more than half a century.
—Matthew Gurewitsch, Air Mail, 13 Dec. 2025
Brooks’s years honing his craft writing prickly characters and witty repartee ensures that not all of this scans as mindless escapism.
—Vikram Murthi, IndieWire, 10 Dec. 2025
Eleven has been training hard, honing her powers.
—Lorraine Ali, Boston Herald, 30 Nov. 2025
In Europe, resorts near glaciers in Austria and France provide reliably high-quality snow perfect for honing your tricks and maneuvers.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 29 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for honing
Verb
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So, why is a whetstone the better sharpening option?—
Randi Gollin,
Martha Stewart,
15 Jan. 2026
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Strategics keep sharpening their focus on India as a next frontier for beauty.—
Jennifer Weil,
Footwear News,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Moore picks up her little one and starts kissing her all over, rubbing her up and down her chest.—
Hannah Sacks,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
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According to the court document, students said they were videotaped alone in a classroom with Illanes, with allegations of removing clothing and rubbing their backs.—
Karen Morfitt,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Downtown tunnel closures The rail grinding project will also be coordinated with the weekend closures of the Downtown subway tunnel to combine efforts in the area and reduce the impact on riders.—
Garrett Behanna,
CBS News,
7 Jan. 2026
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Marty Supreme follows a wildly gifted, unapologetically cocky aspiring table tennis superstar named Marty Mauser (Chalamet), grinding it in Lower Manhattan circa 1952.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Speak steadily to keep polishing your reputation.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
12 Jan. 2026
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The hum of polishing wheels bleeds through half-open doors.—
Parin Moradiya,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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What was discussed in a more than two-hour-long executive session, Cincinnati Council members wouldn't say, filing past reporters and refusing to talk.—
Scott Wartman,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
13 Jan. 2026
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Advocates working with incarcerated survivors say that while hundreds of cases appear potentially eligible statewide, only a small subset meet the law’s narrow standards, and even fewer overcome barriers to filing decades later.—
Stephen Martin,
Oklahoma Watch,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Meanwhile, other refinements included sanding and polishing the carbon-fiber composite surface.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Jan. 2026
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After sanding and wiping down well with a tacky cloth to get rid of grit, use a paint primer to help the paint stick to the wood and prevent additional cracks.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Polishing is the process of buffing off the excess wax to create a shine.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
11 Jan. 2026
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To start, apply a base coat that's similar to your nails, and finish off by buffing in a milky white hue on the tips.—
Taylor Augustin Littlejohn,
InStyle,
30 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Honing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/honing. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
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