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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Recent Examples of honing
Cassidy is blessed with a unique blend of creativity, technical skill, and an unwavering commitment to honing her craft.
—
Heide Janssen, Oc Register, 15 Mar. 2026
Cabrera, acquired in a January trade with the Miami Marlins, gets a chance to continue honing his relationship with Miguel Amaya, who returned to camp Thursday after Team Panama was eliminated from the World Baseball Classic.
—Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
The results may look deceptively simple—bed sheets, pillow shams, the occasional coverlet—but engrained in those thread counts are hundreds of years spent honing techniques and generations of families honoring lofty traditions.
—Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 13 Mar. 2026
Hitting off a machine in a cage, Duran worked on seeing different angles and pitch shapes, honing his swing decisions in various counts and visualizing at-bats in scenarios with runners on base.
—Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2026
While Sasaki is trying to work through things in live action, including honing a third pitch for his arsenal, there is also the practical matter of making sure Sasaki is built up to start games once the regular season gets underway.
—Jack Vita, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Now girls are logging 30 matches a season, constantly honing their skills and gaining strength – a prerequisite to merely keep pace with their contemporaries.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 2 Mar. 2026
As the nation bonded as one over the past two weeks biting nails, screaming at wins, wincing at crashes and choking up at all the beautiful moments of Olympic competition, another group of athletes were – and still are – out honing their multi-level championship skills.
—Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald, 25 Feb. 2026
Will Schoen and his scouting staff create a board that Aponte and Harbaugh then are part of tweaking and honing to the organization’s final plan for April?
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 23 Feb. 2026
Heide Janssen, Oc Register, 15 Mar. 2026
Cabrera, acquired in a January trade with the Miami Marlins, gets a chance to continue honing his relationship with Miguel Amaya, who returned to camp Thursday after Team Panama was eliminated from the World Baseball Classic.
—Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
The results may look deceptively simple—bed sheets, pillow shams, the occasional coverlet—but engrained in those thread counts are hundreds of years spent honing techniques and generations of families honoring lofty traditions.
—Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 13 Mar. 2026
Hitting off a machine in a cage, Duran worked on seeing different angles and pitch shapes, honing his swing decisions in various counts and visualizing at-bats in scenarios with runners on base.
—Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2026
While Sasaki is trying to work through things in live action, including honing a third pitch for his arsenal, there is also the practical matter of making sure Sasaki is built up to start games once the regular season gets underway.
—Jack Vita, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Now girls are logging 30 matches a season, constantly honing their skills and gaining strength – a prerequisite to merely keep pace with their contemporaries.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 2 Mar. 2026
As the nation bonded as one over the past two weeks biting nails, screaming at wins, wincing at crashes and choking up at all the beautiful moments of Olympic competition, another group of athletes were – and still are – out honing their multi-level championship skills.
—Moira McCarthy, Boston Herald, 25 Feb. 2026
Will Schoen and his scouting staff create a board that Aponte and Harbaugh then are part of tweaking and honing to the organization’s final plan for April?
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 23 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for honing
Verb
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That is when boards start re-rating risks, lenders start sharpening pencils and capex slips down the priority list.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
9 Mar. 2026
-
In another timeline where none of Puerto Rico’s stars were absent from the tournament, Darell Hernaiz would be in Arizona, sharpening his skills in spring training with the Athletics.—
Maria Torres,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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And after rubbing it in and brushing it through, this product leaves virtually no residue or gritty feeling.—
Catharine Malzahn,
Glamour,
18 Mar. 2026
-
Pruning saws are great for thinning Japanese maple or crepe myrtle branches that might be rubbing on each other, shooting in the wrong direction, or obstructing a walkway.—
Campbell Vaughn,
USA Today,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The most grinding suspicions encountered by many survivors—about whether they were ever really struck at all—may in any case be mooted in the coming years.—
Jacob Stern,
The Atlantic,
16 Mar. 2026
-
For the best coffee, Edwards recommends grinding your own fresh roasted coffee beans at home that were roasted at least five days ago and using the coffee grounds within a few weeks.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Remove all oil residue from the nail beds before polishing.—
Ariana Yaptangco,
Glamour,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Harsh Chemicals and Abrasive Cleaners Avoid using harsh chemicals and abrasive cleaners when cleaning and polishing wood flooring.—
Maria Sabella,
The Spruce,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The amount beneficiaries receive varies based on several factors, including the number of people filing.—
Asher Notheis,
The Washington Examiner,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Married individuals filing separately can deduct half of that each year.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Age has a way of mellowing a person, sanding away their rough edges, leaving only their essence.—
Stephen Thomas Erlewine,
Pitchfork,
2 Mar. 2026
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City of Dallas has only eight snow plows The city of Dallas has only eight snow plows and about 100 sanding trucks for 11,700 lane miles of roads, forcing it to prioritize.—
Julia James,
Dallas Morning News,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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These provide enough force for buffing out scratches without further damaging the surface.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
7 Mar. 2026
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Anything above 220 is considered fine and works well for smoothing edges and buffing the nail surface to a polished finish.—
Lily Wohlner,
Allure,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Honing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/honing. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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