1
as in sleek
having a shiny surface or finish
she could see her face reflected in the polished hood of the car
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cultured
having or showing a taste for the fine arts and gracious living
showing the polished manners of a cosmopolitan woman
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in smoothed
to make smooth or glossy usually by repeatedly applying surface pressure
you'll need to polish your shoes with a clean rag before the performance
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in finished
to bring (something) to a state where nothing remains to be done
once you polish the article a bit, it'll be ready to submit
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of polished
Allen Buchanan, Oc Register, 9 May 2026
The New Balance 515 shoes are a little more polished than a running sneaker, but still provide ample support for ache-prone feet.
—Madeline Merinuk, PEOPLE, 9 May 2026
Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 May 2026
Why had someone polished smooth one of the crania and decorated another with a pattern of scratch marks?
—Literary Hub, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for polished
Adjective
Because in a market like Orange County, where land is scarce and regulation is tight, the highest and best use is not always the newest building or the most polished project.
—Allen Buchanan, Oc Register, 9 May 2026
The New Balance 515 shoes are a little more polished than a running sneaker, but still provide ample support for ache-prone feet.
—Madeline Merinuk, PEOPLE, 9 May 2026
Verb
For a go-anywhere bag that’s practical enough for long commutes and polished enough for work, this under-$200 tote is worth a look.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 May 2026
Why had someone polished smooth one of the crania and decorated another with a pattern of scratch marks?
—Literary Hub, 30 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for polished
Recent Examples of Synonyms for polished
Adjective
-
At this gleefully un-sleek restaurant styled as a Korean blue-collar cabby spot, the menu has almost no choices and not all the banchan are created equal.—
Ligaya Mishan,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
-
Guests are asked to pack black-tie for evenings, and in a blur of feathers, silk, sequins, and sleek tuxedos, the collective effect is as transportive as the opulent surroundings.—
Rebekah Peppler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 May 2026
Adjective
-
The durable cultured marble top holds two ceramic undermount sinks.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
28 Apr. 2026
-
In short, for the first time Tavira will be in the sights of the cultured, high-end traveler who at last has somewhere to lay their (well coiffured) head.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Miriam smoothed a hand over her lace buba.—
‘Pemi Aguda,
Literary Hub,
6 May 2026
-
Whatever is left can be smoothed across the rest of the head.—
Diana Tsui,
Footwear News,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
The movie, which literally just finished post-production, arrived on tracking this morning.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
7 May 2026
-
The Barons finished 25-8 last season, losing in the CIF San Diego Section Open Division championship game to rival Mater Dei Catholic 6-1, then falling to the Crusaders again, 5-4, in the SoCal Regional semifinals.—
Don Norcross,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
Silky cubes of tofu and tender ground pork in a glossy sauce with a subtle heat, more driven by black pepper than the lurid red chilis that swam alongside.—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
8 May 2026
-
After New Year’s our mother dumps it, with all the glossy families and chirpy letters, in the trash.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
But the specific French dispensation—the idea that a man’s erotic life exists outside the moral world of his other obligations, that the wife and the mistress are a civilized arrangement, that desire is sovereign—this mythology did not make the crossing with me, or did not survive it intact.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 May 2026
-
The 2026 draft footprint stretched across Point State Park and Acrisure Stadium (still Heinz Field in the hearts of civilized people) and by the end of the weekend, the city had hosted one of the biggest football parties in human history.—
Dan Zaksheske OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Justin Brazeau skated over to the Penguins captain and rubbed the back of his noggin for good measure.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Kuroda mentioned other small incidents that rubbed him the wrong way as well.—
Robert McGreevy,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The board approved more than $12,000 in expenses for travel that was completed nine months ago.—
Jeff Abell,
Baltimore Sun,
7 May 2026
-
In 1993, Frenchman Bruno Peyron completed the first successful Jules Verne circumnavigation in 79 days, six hours, 15 minutes.—
Andrew Rice,
New York Times,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Polished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/polished. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
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