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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of polished
Stephanie Mansfield, Vogue, 2 Nov. 2025
In the second episode, Rachel Sennott’s Maia and Odessa A’zion’s Tallulah meet with the latter’s rival from New York, a polished blonde influencer who claims Tallulah stole her Balenciaga bag.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 2 Nov. 2025
Rob Tanner, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
His fleet of lowriders, each polished to a mirror shine, also appear.
—Thania Garcia, Variety, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for polished
Adjective
Her hair is often a massive tangle of black curls, her nails are expertly polished, her huge brown eyes peer out from spidery lashes, and her skin is cocoa-butter smooth.
—Stephanie Mansfield, Vogue, 2 Nov. 2025
In the second episode, Rachel Sennott’s Maia and Odessa A’zion’s Tallulah meet with the latter’s rival from New York, a polished blonde influencer who claims Tallulah stole her Balenciaga bag.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 2 Nov. 2025
Verb
Egos will not be polished but pushed to one side as Tuchel looks for chemistry and cohesion in his group.
—Rob Tanner, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
His fleet of lowriders, each polished to a mirror shine, also appear.
—Thania Garcia, Variety, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for polished
Recent Examples of Synonyms for polished
Adjective
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On our shopping list is a polished king bed that’s 39% off, an armoire that’s perfect for stashing seasonal clothing, and a sleek metal accent table under $200.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
30 Oct. 2025
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Hilton kept it sleek in a black mini-dress with fishnet panels and thigh-high boots, finishing her look with dark shades and blunt bangs.—
Danielle Minnetian,
FOXNews.com,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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His goal to seal the win against Italy — a lung-busting run and cultured finish in the dying moments — helped to illustrate the impressive engine at the heart of Cremaschi’s game.—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
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Because each cell type is cultured separately, they can be genetically edited to study specific diseases or therapeutic responses.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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At its far end, the valley is enclosed by red sandstone cliffs—rock walls, towers, and outcrops the size of office buildings, smoothed and sculpted by millennia of wind and water.—
Stanley Stewart,
Air Mail,
25 Oct. 2025
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The first is that the metallic fabric rightfully has a different texture (and potentially consistency) from the black, and that difference is glaring with that wide a stripe; reducing that width by a third or half would have smoothed that out.—
The Athletic NHL Staff,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The Wild, who finished 30th in the NHL on the penalty kill the past two years, have given up 10 goals on 25 chances this year (60 percent).—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
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Thorne finished in second, with the blueberry coming in third and the dumpster-diving contestant, Mike, winning the grand prize.—
Joey Nolfi,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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However, safety is the top concern among users in the Reddit thread, with many reporting that their glossy or ultra-smooth floors are incredibly slippery, especially when wet.—
Lauren Bengtson,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 Oct. 2025
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On Friday night, tennis superstar Serena Williams made a splash at the Princesa De Asturias awards ceremony, clad in a head-to-toe fiery red ensemble featuring glossy pumps.—
Kelsey Stewart,
Footwear News,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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First-generation Vipers (1991 through 2002) grew marginally more civilized over a decade, but the original cars were essentially rag-top roadsters in the hair-shirt tradition of the Shelby Cobra.—
Robert Ross,
Robb Report,
28 Oct. 2025
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The Gauls had been described as barbarians by Julius Caesar and Livy, but now had become these Ur people, far more ancient and civilized than their ancient Roman detractors.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Her words rubbed viewers and other contestants the wrong way, prompting a spat with fellow contestant Debbie.—
Jalen Williams,
Freep.com,
30 Oct. 2025
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However, Amy didn't say anything else, which rubbed her the wrong way.—
Meredith Wilshere,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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New York completed two blockbuster trades before the deadline, sending star cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams to the Dallas Cowboys.—
Shaun McAvoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
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Both companies have completed initial tests showing that their approaches work, at least in mice, and both have started tests in larger animals — pigs and monkeys — to see whether their gene therapies can work in larger animals.—
Brenda Goodman,
CNN Money,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Polished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/polished. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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