1
as in rubs
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in finishes
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
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.
Recent Examples of polishes
The vacuum has a fluffy optic cleaner head that not only cleans but also polishes hard floors.
—
Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 23 Dec. 2025
The Pillbox The most elegant of the bunch, the pillbox hat instantly polishes any look.
—Andrea Zendejas, Vogue, 19 Dec. 2025
Remember the butler who polishes the shower?
—Frank Digiacomo, Billboard, 17 Nov. 2025
Next, the gel polishes themselves had to work with the specific wavelengths of the Olive & June lamp.
—Megan McIntyre, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
Plenty of brands already offer or are transitioning to TPO-free formulas that contain different photoinitiators (a chemical that makes gel polishes cure under a lamp instead of air-drying like regular polish) such as TPO-L, BAPO, or other resin initiators.
—Hannah Nwoko, Parents, 5 Sep. 2025
The sensorial balm texture tints and polishes the lips, promising 48 hours of hydration encased in a pearl tube with LV-inscribed in gold.
—Essence, 20 Aug. 2025
The high milk content and prolonged conching (which refines and polishes the chocolate) of this 33 percent bar results in melt-in-your-mouth creaminess.
—Rebecca L. Rhoades, Saveur, 20 Aug. 2025
Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 23 Dec. 2025
The Pillbox The most elegant of the bunch, the pillbox hat instantly polishes any look.
—Andrea Zendejas, Vogue, 19 Dec. 2025
Remember the butler who polishes the shower?
—Frank Digiacomo, Billboard, 17 Nov. 2025
Next, the gel polishes themselves had to work with the specific wavelengths of the Olive & June lamp.
—Megan McIntyre, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
Plenty of brands already offer or are transitioning to TPO-free formulas that contain different photoinitiators (a chemical that makes gel polishes cure under a lamp instead of air-drying like regular polish) such as TPO-L, BAPO, or other resin initiators.
—Hannah Nwoko, Parents, 5 Sep. 2025
The sensorial balm texture tints and polishes the lips, promising 48 hours of hydration encased in a pearl tube with LV-inscribed in gold.
—Essence, 20 Aug. 2025
The high milk content and prolonged conching (which refines and polishes the chocolate) of this 33 percent bar results in melt-in-your-mouth creaminess.
—Rebecca L. Rhoades, Saveur, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for polishes
Verb
-
Dramatic silence after someone makes a comment that rubs them the wrong way.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
25 Dec. 2025
-
Finally, with the boom of a cannon and the roar of the crowd, each team member and coach rubs Howard’s Rock for luck before hurtling down the hill toward the home sideline.—
Elizabeth Hutchison Hicklin,
Southern Living,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams will take part in a showdown this Sunday at Levi's Stadium that could possibly end up deciding who finishes first in the NFC West.—
Robert Marvi,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Everyone who finishes the test will get 100% correct.—
Emery Petchauer,
The Conversation,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The light fabric smooths bumps and moves with you through workouts while still being comfortable for lounging.—
Emma Greene,
InStyle,
6 Jan. 2026
-
This hybrid balm-powder formula delivers rich pigment with a soft-matte payoff that blurs the look of pores and smooths uneven skin.—
Jailynn Taylor,
Allure,
26 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Even the weak 2025 figures are likely to be revised lower in February, when the government completes an annual benchmarking of the jobs figures to an actual count of jobs derived from companies’ unemployment insurance filings.—
Christopher Rugaber,
Fortune,
9 Jan. 2026
-
This completes one repetition, or rep, of the movement.—
Jakob Roze,
Health,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The onions should fall apart, creating a thick, rich sauce that coats the meat.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Further experiments revealed that the extracellular vesicles stopped senescence by using the extracellular matrix protein fibronectin, which coats their surfaces and then causes a release of enzymes that block the effects of oxidative stress which unleash senescence.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
4 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Polishes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/polishes. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share