japanning

Definition of japanningnext
present participle of japan
See the Dictionary Definition 

Example Sentences

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
Verb
  • In the past few weeks, massive amounts of sargassum have washed up on the shores of the Yucatan Peninsula, coating beaches in Cancun, Mexico.
    Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 22 May 2026
  • Because coating formulas are proprietary, companies are not required to disclose every ingredient used in the blend.
    Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 20 May 2026
Verb
  • Slow down before polishing the life out of your point.
    Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 23 May 2026
  • Rolls-Royce artisans later sealed each piece beneath ten layers of lacquer before sanding and polishing the surfaces to the mirror-like finish expected of the brand.
    Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
Verb
  • 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
  • Shapiro brushed off questions — and Republican criticism — about burnishing his credentials for a White House run.
    CBS News, CBS News, 25 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • This is also linked to a change known as Darier’s sign, which is a common finding in mastocytosis, where rubbing a skin lesion causes redness or swelling.
    Suchandrima Bhowmik, Health, 15 May 2026
  • If one berry develops mold, spores can spread quickly, and moisture, warmth, and friction from the berries rubbing together can accelerate the spread.
    Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 12 May 2026
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
Verb
  • Over the past few years, Target has slipped from being a retail shining star to something far more commonplace.
    Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
  • Reality Check is a Star series holding those with power to account and shining a light on their decisions.
    Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 18 May 2026
Verb
  • For appliances and fixtures such as faucets, start by sprinkling baking soda onto a damp rag, and buffing the stainless steel gently to clean and brighten.
    Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 11 May 2026
  • Keep one slightly damp microfiber cloth for cleaning and one dry microfiber cloth for buffing.
    Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Sacbee.com, 27 Apr. 2026
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

Cite this Entry

“Japanning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/japanning. Accessed 24 May. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on japanning

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