POLISHING Synonyms: 70 Similar and Opposite Words

polishing

verb

present participle of polish

as in rubbing

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

as in finishing

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 polishing The Duchess of Edinburgh even got hands-on experience shaping and polishing a quartz gemstone. — Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 17 Sep. 2026 Before Bay Area readers start polishing their debate trophies, remember these studies are conversation starters, not final verdicts. — James Ward, USA Today, 15 Sep. 2026 Running a raw, unedited Q&A shows the reality of the technology without a corporate PR team polishing the rough edges or hiding the structural failures. — New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026 Live Edit, Video Capture, and Formats Snap Pro 26 continues to build on past iterations' strengths by keeping what worked and further polishing it. — Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 26 Aug. 2026 Founders often spend too much time polishing the story when skeptical early adopters are looking for evidence of execution. — Lilian Raji, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 Sangare is not the finished product, but Brentford’s track record of finding and polishing young players with high potential casts this move in a promising light. — Cerys Jones, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2026 Born into a Krymchak Jewish family in Haifa and raised poor in Brownsville, Brooklyn, Bakshi entered the animation industry at just 18, polishing dirt from cels at Terrytoons. — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2026 Under this law, employers are required to take steps to protect workers, such as providing protective respirators and using water to suppress dust, when employees are cutting, grinding or polishing slabs. — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 12 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for polishing

Verb

As far as technique, pressing is gentler on dry skin than rubbing or dragging.

— Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 18 Sep. 2026
Among other things, Noohu accused showrunner Ed Brubaker of rubbing his back and of making comments about running his hands through Noohu’s hair.

— Gene Maddaus, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of rubbing

Verb

According to the Texas Secretary of State’s Office, a person convicted of a felony is not eligible to run for a state office after finishing a sentence.

— Eleanor Dearman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 Sep. 2026
The top four advance directly to the quarterfinals and the clubs finishing between fifth and 12th compete in knockout phase playoffs in February.

— ABC News, ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of finishing

Verb

WashWise recommends holding the spray 8 to 12 inches away, applying a light mist and smoothing or gently tugging the fabric to release wrinkles.

— Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Sep. 2026
Sobel adds that the peptide complex Matrixyl also offers impressive line-smoothing benefits.

— Emily Orofino, Allure, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of smoothing

Verb

A week after completing zero passes that traveled more than 10 yards beyond the line of scrimmage, Mahomes found daylight everywhere.

— Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 21 Sep. 2026
But the intermediate passing game was nonexistent; Willis didn’t complete either of his passes that traveled between 10 and 19 yards after completing 6 of 11 such throws in the opener.

— Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of completing

Verb

If the copper is heavily tarnished, let the toothpaste’s active ingredients work on the patina for ten minutes or so before buffing.

— Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott, Southern Living, 6 Sep. 2026
Classes and skills lean into different styles of play; Astromech droids are entirely support-focused, generating AP (action points) and buffing the party, while the Assault is focused on heavy damage and drawing aggro.

— Hayes Madsen, Space.com, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of buffing

Verb

Focus on crevices and edges where grease and debris tend to accumulate, but avoid scrubbing too harshly.

— Jamie Cuccinelli, Martha Stewart, 17 Sep. 2026
Take care of spills immediately and do those quick weekly checks, so your quarterly clean becomes much more about refreshing and reorganizing versus a full day of scrubbing away months of buildup.

— Bianca Lambert, Southern Living, 29 Aug. 2026