honing in (on)

verb

present participle of hone in (on)
as in homing (in on)

Related Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for honing in (on)
  1. aiming
  2. focusing
Verb
  • Rodriguez returns after a 15-month layoff and hand surgery, aiming to re-enter the title picture against Silva, who seeks a second win this year to secure a title shot.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Democrats are aiming to keep control of the Michigan governorship in what is expected to be a competitive general election race.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of aiming
Verb
  • The rooms All are subtly and swankily music-themed in the spirit of the hotel’s strong music history (Carnegie Hall is nearly next door) and art works focusing on instruments placed throughout the property were curated by The Met.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Instead, the filmmakers chose to go smaller, focusing on the internal conflict and loneliness of Holland’s Peter Parker after a spell forces his friends to forget him.
    — Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of focusing
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.

Browse Nearby Words

honing
honing in (on)
honk
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Honing in (on).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/honing%20in%20%28on%29. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of torpor

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All