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 There may have been a time when hosting a holiday dinner meant pulling out every platter, polishing the silver, and making sure there were enough wine glasses for a small army. — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 2 Oct. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for polishing

Verb

Some of these practices have been reported on before, such as rubbing deodorant against colored pages from magazines to make eye shadow.

— Elizabeth Gulino, Allure, 8 Oct. 2026
The bigger claim making the rounds, that a few minutes of face rubbing can quiet your body’s stress response, is where dermatologists urge a little caution.

— Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of rubbing

Verb

There are some great deals on leave-in conditioner and hair masks, too, like this smoothing formula from L’Oréal Paris, plus strand-thickening formulas that can help add density and control shedding in thinning areas.

— Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 7 Oct. 2026
When styling this haircut, use a smoothing serum or oil, which will come in handy after the hair is dry.

— Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of smoothing

Verb

Her shoes were very similar in style to her mother’s, and the pair looked on as Princess Leonor marched in the parade in formal military attire to celebrate completing three years of training.

— Erin Wisti, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
In the latest three months, Goldman benefited from completing SpaceX's record-breaking IPO in June.

— Deena Zaidi, CNBC, 12 Oct. 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

The company dispensed with its DEI disclosures to investors, scrubbing any references to goals and resources aimed at boosting diversity at the company.

— Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2026
Let everything sit on your toilet bowl for a while before scrubbing gently and finally flushing your toilet.

— Asia London Palomba, The Spruce, 27 Sep. 2026