Synonyms of polishing

polishing

verb

present participle of polish

1

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

• rubbing
• smoothing
• buffing
• scrubbing
• shining
• coating
• burnishing
• glossing
• grinding
• scraping
• dressing
• finishing
• furbishing
• sanding
• smoothening
• varnishing
• glazing
• bobbing
• filing
• lacquering
• japanning
• slicking
• facing
• sandpapering
• brightening
• veneering
• scouring
• sandblasting
• sleeking
• lapping
• boning
• rasping

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• ruffling
• roughing (up)
• scuffing (up)
• roughening

2

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

• finishing
• completing
• perfecting
• finalizing
• accomplishing
• getting through
• consummating
• doing
• executing
• fulfilling
• improving
• achieving
• refining
• effecting
• performing
• sticking out
• enhancing
• carrying out
• machining
• shining
• amending
• enriching
• bettering
• ameliorating
• following through (with)
• discharging
• carrying through
• meliorating
• rounding (off or out)
• touching up

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• dropping
• abandoning
• quitting
• discontinuing
• forsaking
• deserting

Example Sentences

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