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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rubbing
to make smooth by friction
honed the edge of the axe until it was amazingly sharp
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Sax worked tirelessly on his baseball craft, growing from a 5-foot-3, 105-pound high school freshman into a brick, relentlessly honing his skills and driven by the the fear that his career could be over in a flash.
—
Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 28 Sep. 2025
The senior has been dedicated to the marching band and color guard, a passion that began the summer before her freshman year with countless hours honing her skills and helping both programs achieve success.
—Andy Humbles, Nashville Tennessean, 26 Sep. 2025
Holding firm Although Russia has been honing its tactics, Moldova has also learned lessons from previous campaigns.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2025
The pressure Alex, who is endowed by Martin with endearing softness and paralyzing self-doubt, feels to be a brave cop, a strong father, and the righteous hero of this story can’t be separated from his experience as a trans man still honing his relationship to masculinity.
—Judy Berman, Time, 25 Sep. 2025
Commercial brands have spent years perfecting their recipes and honing their techniques, using specialized equipment and quality control measures that can be difficult to replicate at home.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 21 Sep. 2025
The city first began piloting these cargo e-bikes in 2019 and has been honing the rules governing them in the years since.
—Clio Chang, Curbed, 17 Sep. 2025
Meanwhile, back in Boston and later at the Cousins Beach House, Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) is honing his skills as a chef, and Taylor (Rain Spencer) organized a PR campaign for him.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 17 Sep. 2025
Here, 20 members of Forbes Coaches Council share soft skills professionals will need to stay resilient as the world of work continues to evolve them, underscoring the importance of honing human capabilities that technology can’t replicate.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 28 Sep. 2025
The senior has been dedicated to the marching band and color guard, a passion that began the summer before her freshman year with countless hours honing her skills and helping both programs achieve success.
—Andy Humbles, Nashville Tennessean, 26 Sep. 2025
Holding firm Although Russia has been honing its tactics, Moldova has also learned lessons from previous campaigns.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2025
The pressure Alex, who is endowed by Martin with endearing softness and paralyzing self-doubt, feels to be a brave cop, a strong father, and the righteous hero of this story can’t be separated from his experience as a trans man still honing his relationship to masculinity.
—Judy Berman, Time, 25 Sep. 2025
Commercial brands have spent years perfecting their recipes and honing their techniques, using specialized equipment and quality control measures that can be difficult to replicate at home.
—Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 21 Sep. 2025
The city first began piloting these cargo e-bikes in 2019 and has been honing the rules governing them in the years since.
—Clio Chang, Curbed, 17 Sep. 2025
Meanwhile, back in Boston and later at the Cousins Beach House, Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) is honing his skills as a chef, and Taylor (Rain Spencer) organized a PR campaign for him.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 17 Sep. 2025
Here, 20 members of Forbes Coaches Council share soft skills professionals will need to stay resilient as the world of work continues to evolve them, underscoring the importance of honing human capabilities that technology can’t replicate.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for honing
Verb
-
The scratching posts are lined with sistal ropes for scratching and sharpening claws while the rest areas are soft and warm, perfect for an afternoon siesta.—
Christine Persaud,
USA Today,
2 Oct. 2025
-
October begins with a profound shift in energy as Mercury joins Mars in Scorpio on October 6, sharpening our minds and intensifying our communication.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
More videos show Dangy rubbing Rune’s belly and feeding him with a bottle.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Like rubbing salt into the wound, an activist investor is seeking to block outgoing Target chief executive officer Brian Cornell’s transition to executive chairman next February.—
David Moin,
Footwear News,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The songwriting process for the album’s breakout hit started with the track’s grinding post-chorus breakdown, which Walter had created on a whim.—
Stephen Daw,
Billboard,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Stories like these have underscored the human dimension of a grinding war, where soldiers form bonds with animals in the trenches.—
Kapil Kajal,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Venus ends its Virgo run in your communication house, polishing your words with discernment.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Over the course of the next 36 years, McNally returned to the script again and again, rewriting, restaging, refining and polishing it into something that eventually became one of Broadway’s biggest hits of 2014 and ’15.—
Rob Hubbard,
Twin Cities,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
To avoid issues, tax professionals recommend filing electronically and selecting direct deposit instead of a paper check.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
6 Oct. 2025
-
Why are so many retirees filing for Social Security earlier?—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
5 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Even the DeSantis administration might have some qualms about sanding off crosswalk markings within sight of the club where 49 people died in the early morning hours of June 12, 2016.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 Aug. 2025
-
The acid can stain or discolor the surface, possibly requiring sanding to remove.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
These provide enough force for buffing out scratches without further damaging the surface.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Instead, Bungie rolled out a TWAB last week that was nerfing player progression instead of buffing it.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Honing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/honing. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share