japanning

verb

present participle of japan
as in varnishing

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for japanning
  1. varnishing
  2. coating
  3. polishing
  4. burnishing
  5. rubbing
  6. glossing
  7. shining
  8. buffing
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
  • Briceno recommends coating both sides of the brush, wiping away any excess, and making sure the bristles come to a clean edge before applying.
    — Marci Robin, Allure, 24 July 2026
  • Never use abrasive cleaning tools or abrasive detergents as that can wear down the PTFE coating on your grill mat.
    — BestReviews, Mercury News, 23 July 2026
Definition of coating
Verb
  • Not deliberately misleading them—more like polishing things up.
    — Dennis Kozak, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
  • Interest—from both visitors and islanders—is gently shifting away from polishing playboy yachts or appeasing the decadent whims of retirees, to something, well, more real.
    — Jonnie Bayfield, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 July 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
  • With eight goals and two assists so far this tournament, the GOAT will be rubbing his hands.
    — Mark Hodge, NBC news, 15 July 2026
  • For washable fabrics, avoid rubbing aggressively as this action can push the stain deeper into the material fibers.
    — Sheila Kim, The Spruce, 13 July 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
  • They should be inspired by the rise of teenage winger Rio Ngumoha, who kicked on impressively after shining during the tune-up trip to Hong Kong and Japan a year ago.
    — James Pearce, New York Times, 20 July 2026
  • Here, there is not just one cube, but many, spread across the floor and joined by bars and tables, a sleek, shining indoor carnival.
    — Ryan P. C. Trimble, Chicago Tribune, 19 July 2026
Definition of shining
Verb
  • Most people use the miracle sponge for buffing out wall or floor scuffs, but Macqueen’s recommendation is an eye-opener.
    — Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 July 2026
  • Finally, to ensure the doors are working smoothly, Sibley suggests applying high-quality car wax to the aluminum, buffing off the wax with a microfiber towel, and then finishing with a light coat of WD40 or Silicone spray on the rollers.
    — Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 6 July 2026
Definition of buffing
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

japanned
japanning
japans
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Japanning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/japanning. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on japanning

Nglish: Translation of japanning for Spanish Speakers

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 aerie

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

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

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
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
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All