JAPANNING Synonyms: 36 Similar and Opposite Words

japanning

verb

present participle of japan

as in varnishing

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for japanning

Verb

Like most ’80s metal heroes who briefly lost their way in the late ’90s, Megadeth have spent the 21st century varnishing their legacy with what’s tried and true, delivering eight LPs since 2001 that all basically sound the same.

— Eli Enis, Pitchfork, 26 Jan. 2026

Definition of varnishing

Verb

In May 2025, a huge mass of rock and ice from a glacier thundered down the mountainside in the nearby Loetschental valley, sending plumes of dust skyward and coating with mud nearly all of Blatten, which had been evacuated earlier as a precaution.

— ABC News, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026
For use directly on the body, the team added a polydopamine coating to improve skin compatibility.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of coating

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

The Obama Presidential Center opening June 18 also bodes well for tourism, both in burnishing the city’s image and creating a new attraction to draw domestic and international visitors to Chicago, Reynolds said.

— Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2026
Murdaugh’s father, a grandfather and a great-grandfather were each elected as top prosecutors in the region, burnishing a family reputation that eventually crumbled.

— Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 13 May 2026

Definition of burnishing

Verb

For instance, Qidi had to include a piece of Velcro to prevent the Polar Cooler tube from rubbing against the glass surface inside the top cover.

— Michael Lydick, PC Magazine, 15 Aug. 2026
Republicans are rubbing their hands in glee at the neocommunist advance in their opposing party.

— Steve Forbes, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of rubbing

Verb

The easy-to-use glossing treatment, which should be applied to damp hair and followed by a blow dryer to activate the frizz-fighting alpha acids, is a semi-permanent smoothing spray that basically creates a water-resistant shield to prevent flyaways—even in the most humid of places.

— Eva Thomas, InStyle, 9 Apr. 2026
Critchley, glossing Julian of Norwich, draws a distinction between seeing and seeing through creation, but this is a false dichotomy.

— Christian Wiman, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025

Definition of glossing

Verb

After returning to full training last week and shining on his first appearance in the 2-0 victory over Como on Sunday, there was both relief and excitement at Anfield to see him finally in action.

— Gregg Evans, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
The pending Lakers sale, under which 41-year-old venture capitalist Joshua Kushner would eventually take control of one of America’s most storied franchises, is a shining example.

— Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of shining

Verb

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
Start by pushing back your cuticles, lightly buffing your nails, and filing the tips for a nice and tidy canvas.

— Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of buffing

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japanned

japanning

japans

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“Japanning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/japanning. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of japanning

verb

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