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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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 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 Avelar is a part of an extracurricular program run by America SCORES Bay Area, a nonprofit that allows students to learn and play the sport of soccer, as well as honing some of their academic skills through poetry. — Sara Donchey, CBS News, 25 June 2026 In the meantime, the teen appears to be honing her stunt skills. — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 20 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for honing
  1. sharpening
  2. rubbing
  3. grinding
  4. polishing
  5. filing
  6. sanding
  7. buffing
Verb
  • The expert becomes the manager of an artificial team, reviewing, redirecting, correcting, and sharpening outputs at speed.
    — Ethan M. Stone, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The Virgo Moon moves through your 3rd House of Communication, sharpening your attention to words, timing, errands, and local conversations.
    — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of sharpening
Verb
  • For someone with a flexible foot or a narrow forefoot where the toes tend to crowd each other, separating the big toe from the second toe can reduce rubbing and irritation.
    — Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The forward has also trademarked his nickname ‘Cold Palmer’, a nod to his celebration, crossing and rubbing his arms as though to warm himself up.
    — Hannah Vanbiber, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of rubbing
Verb
  • Kruz and Josie catch the guy’s eye on the dance floor and invite him to join their impromptu grinding session, which is also when Joe catches the pair touching in a way that suggests relationship-level familiarity.
    — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 23 Aug. 2026
  • But almost all beef that is meant to be used for grinding beef, which comes from Australia or Brazil, is frozen, and a large portion of that goes to food service operations, mostly fast food companies.
    — Dan Mangan,Pippa Stevens, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of grinding
Verb
  • Sangare is not the finished product, but Brentford’s track record of finding and polishing young players with high potential casts this move in a promising light.
    — Cerys Jones, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Born into a Krymchak Jewish family in Haifa and raised poor in Brownsville, Brooklyn, Bakshi entered the animation industry at just 18, polishing dirt from cels at Terrytoons.
    — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of polishing
Verb
  • At risk from these reductions is the peace of mind that taxpayers are indeed filing their taxes correctly every year as systems become more strained, O’Donnell noted.
    — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2026
  • But Azerbaijan has gone a step farther, filing a defamation suit against CNN in Delaware last week.
    — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of filing
Verb
  • 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
  • The rooms All Volcanoes lodges are hand-built and use no machinery (apart from sanding) by their team of builders, carpenters, welders, and fundi/artisans, from the papyrus roof to the bedside lamps.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 July 2026
Definition of sanding
Verb
  • Use this to wipe the entire surface, buffing in the direction of the grain.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 18 Aug. 2026
  • How to Remove Scratches on Stainless Steel Gentleness is key when buffing out light scratches on stainless steel appliances.
    — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 15 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 26 Aug. 2026.

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