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
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
Beijing is certainly honing its capabilities with AI at the fore.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 27 Jan. 2026
Goepper spent the better part of a year honing it at Rollerblade Ranch, eyeing the Olympics as the ultimate stage for his reveal.
—Zak Keefer, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026
As Alvarado explores repeatedly, Valdez rejected that pathway, instead honing his indigenous roots, and dedicating his life to exalting those who, like him, exist in the in-between.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 23 Jan. 2026
Demonstrating the autonomy required for successful online learning, Cushing manages her academic responsibilities with minimal guidance, consistently meeting high expectations while simultaneously honing her creative craft.
—Darla Rivera, Oklahoman, 19 Jan. 2026
In the mid-2000s, the brothers started out street performing, honing their skills and finding fans out in the world by putting in the hours.
—Anhar Karim, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Welsh and Griggs, like most culinary professionals, prefer honing steels and whetstones.
—Randi Gollin, Martha Stewart, 15 Jan. 2026
Think of honing as maintenance, and sharpening as repair.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 29 Dec. 2025
Denise Warner, Billboard, 29 Jan. 2026
Beijing is certainly honing its capabilities with AI at the fore.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 27 Jan. 2026
Goepper spent the better part of a year honing it at Rollerblade Ranch, eyeing the Olympics as the ultimate stage for his reveal.
—Zak Keefer, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026
As Alvarado explores repeatedly, Valdez rejected that pathway, instead honing his indigenous roots, and dedicating his life to exalting those who, like him, exist in the in-between.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 23 Jan. 2026
Demonstrating the autonomy required for successful online learning, Cushing manages her academic responsibilities with minimal guidance, consistently meeting high expectations while simultaneously honing her creative craft.
—Darla Rivera, Oklahoman, 19 Jan. 2026
In the mid-2000s, the brothers started out street performing, honing their skills and finding fans out in the world by putting in the hours.
—Anhar Karim, Forbes.com, 16 Jan. 2026
Welsh and Griggs, like most culinary professionals, prefer honing steels and whetstones.
—Randi Gollin, Martha Stewart, 15 Jan. 2026
Think of honing as maintenance, and sharpening as repair.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 29 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for honing
Verb
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Modern folding saws are effective for larger branches and have replaceable blades, eliminating the need for sharpening.—
Paul Cappiello,
Louisville Courier Journal,
30 Jan. 2026
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Mercury fuses with Pluto in your money zone, sharpening budget choices and prompting frank talks about fair compensation.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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However, there is a risk of the shinbone rubbing against the femur with this type of injury, which can injure the cartilage (which is designed to reduce friction between the bones).—
Korin Miller,
SELF,
3 Feb. 2026
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The lawsuit accuses Smith of grooming the boy and touching him inappropriately, including rubbing his buttocks and pressing his own body against the boy's while he was seated at his desk.—
Sabrina Franza,
CBS News,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Hana starts taking home a rib cage here, a few bones there, grinding them up with a mortar and pestle to make her own DIY version of the gray.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Feb. 2026
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Part of the issue is that many cardholders assume that there's only one way to deal with their growing credit card debt, and that's grinding through years of payments while the interest charges continue to compound.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
2 Feb. 2026
Verb
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One air bubble can destroy a $10,000 piece at the polishing stage.—
Lilian Raji,
Forbes.com,
30 Jan. 2026
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Advanced packaging – Disco Japan's Disco manufactures processing equipment and tools for the creation of computer chips, specializing in grinding and polishing equipment, which is part of the advanced packaging process.—
Tasmin Lockwood,
CNBC,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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To receive the award, the authority completed governance transparency requirements including ethics training for all board members, properly conducting open and public meetings and filing financial transactions and compensation reports to the state controller in a timely manner.—
Anne Gelhaus,
Mercury News,
1 Feb. 2026
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In 2026, filing confusion adds fuel to the fire.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Before those efforts, crews will continue sanding operations around the city to treat roads this week.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Jan. 2026
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Meanwhile, other refinements included sanding and polishing the carbon-fiber composite surface.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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For extra shine, Sokolowski suggests buffing lightly with a dry cloth.—
Rae Ford,
Martha Stewart,
17 Jan. 2026
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The singer, born Cassandra Monique Batie, also colored her waterline with black, buffing gray and brown tones underneath.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
16 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Honing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/honing. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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