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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

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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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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 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 Ukrainian drone commanders are honing their targeting of Russian refineries and leaving swaths of Crimea with no fuel or power, while Russia ramps up attacks on Ukraine’s gas stations. — Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 30 July 2026 The program, taking place online over the next three days, gives a diverse group of trans artists an opportunity to meet with mentors in their field with the hope of honing their voices and developing future projects. — Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 27 July 2026 Inspired by legends like Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson, Clint Black spent years honing his craft in Texas clubs and honky-tonks before breaking through with his landmark 1989 album, Killin' Time. — Staff Author, Southern Living, 14 July 2026 Participants gain real-world experience in agriculture, hospitality, customer service and food preparation — all while honing their ability to communicate in English with customers and coworkers. — Madeleine Kashkooli, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for honing
  1. sharpening
  2. rubbing
  3. grinding
  4. polishing
  5. filing
  6. sanding
  7. buffing
Verb
  • Beyond that, sharpening a feel for when the initial danger has diminished should help the quarterback find a little extra time and space to reset and attack.
    — Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The plant contains mescaline, a psychoactive compound that alters perception and mood, sharpening the senses and amplifying feelings of empathy and connection.
    — Pardis Mahdavi, The Conversation, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of sharpening
Verb
  • One juror was rubbing his eyes as Sullivan talked, and another was clasping and unclasping his hands in his lap.
    — Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Danger, Olivo, and Mosco had just eaten by the gazebo and Damaris was rubbing her pup’s head goodnight, about to go into the shack.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of rubbing
Verb
  • The process begins by crushing and grinding magnets before digestion and separation of base metals, including iron, manganese, aluminum, nickel, copper, and boron.
    — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2026
  • But the wins have, largely, been grinding contests reliant on perfect pitching and nail-biting relief.
    — Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of grinding
Verb
  • Running a raw, unedited Q&A shows the reality of the technology without a corporate PR team polishing the rough edges or hiding the structural failures.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Some jobs that previously relied on hand craftsmanship but can now be automated made the top 10, including patternmakers and grinding and polishing workers.
    — Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of polishing
Verb
  • And the number moved enough that the Census Bureau took the unusual step of declaring the old and new figures incomparable, creating a new time series from December 4, 2025, and filing the earlier data under historical.
    — Ajay Pundhir, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026
  • That has meant skaters such as Valieva have been considered eligible briefly after filing the paperwork for neutral status, only to have that status revoked soon after.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of filing
Verb
  • For more than five decades, the brand has grown without sanding down the personality that made its original spaces memorable.
    — Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Before planting any hibiscus seeds, start by nicking or sanding the seeds using fine-grade sandpaper or the tip of a knife.
    — Shelby Vittek, The Spruce, 15 Aug. 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 15 Sep. 2026.

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