1
as in sharpening
to make sharp or sharper
honed the knife's blade to razor-like sharpness honed his crossword-puzzle skills by reading the dictionary as though it were a thrilling novel
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in rubbing
to make smooth by friction
honed the edge of the axe until it was amazingly sharp
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Recent Examples of honing
Tech-art studio Rhizomatiks and Dentsu design experts, both based in Japan, continued honing the capabilities as underlying technology improved.
—
Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 25 Apr. 2026
The team is always honing their skills, and their training continues at least once a month.
—Ashley Portillo, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026
And while creators of such content have access to this ever-evolving technology, tech giants are also honing their internal AI systems to fight the deluge.
—ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
Led by John Wist, hands-on course will guide through steps from developing concept and honing storytelling skills to mastering interview techniques, gear setup, audio engineering, and video production.
—Staff Report, Baltimore Sun, 15 Apr. 2026
Nonetheless, Blake and Carlson stick to the minimalist sound Blake’s been honing for years.
—Donald Morrison, Pitchfork, 14 Apr. 2026
Researchers will be honing their forecasts as the season approaches, and will release additional outlooks in June, July and August.
—Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 9 Apr. 2026
The work can also be physically taxing, and staying ahead requires constantly honing your skills.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2026
The hands-on, immersive experience assisted in honing space weather forecasting activities, not only for Artemis 2 but also the future.
—Leonard David, Space.com, 30 Mar. 2026
Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 25 Apr. 2026
The team is always honing their skills, and their training continues at least once a month.
—Ashley Portillo, CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026
And while creators of such content have access to this ever-evolving technology, tech giants are also honing their internal AI systems to fight the deluge.
—ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
Led by John Wist, hands-on course will guide through steps from developing concept and honing storytelling skills to mastering interview techniques, gear setup, audio engineering, and video production.
—Staff Report, Baltimore Sun, 15 Apr. 2026
Nonetheless, Blake and Carlson stick to the minimalist sound Blake’s been honing for years.
—Donald Morrison, Pitchfork, 14 Apr. 2026
Researchers will be honing their forecasts as the season approaches, and will release additional outlooks in June, July and August.
—Bill Kearney, Sun Sentinel, 9 Apr. 2026
The work can also be physically taxing, and staying ahead requires constantly honing your skills.
—Preston Fore, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2026
The hands-on, immersive experience assisted in honing space weather forecasting activities, not only for Artemis 2 but also the future.
—Leonard David, Space.com, 30 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for honing
Verb
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Mercury moves through your 1st House of Identity, sharpening your voice and making your words more direct than usual.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2026
-
According to Plunge, cold-water immersion triggers norepinephrine, a chemical messenger that delivers a burst of energy while sharpening focus.—
Samantha Agate,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Harvest quinoa by hitting the flower stalks against a hard surface or rubbing them between your hands to separate the seeds from the flower parts or chaff.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
27 Apr. 2026
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An employee washed hands for less than 10 seconds at the sushi bar, and the inspector wants to see 10-15 seconds of your hands rubbing each other.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Their experiments confirmed that adding a single squirt of water to coffee beans before grinding can significantly reduce the static electric charge on the resulting grounds.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
28 Apr. 2026
-
This stock was a disaster from May 2025 through the November lows near $48, losing roughly half its value in a grinding downtrend.—
Josh Brown,Sean Russo,
CNBC,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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With just over a month before the FIFA World Cup, Downtown Dallas is polishing, planning, and preparing for what could be one of the busiest stretches the city has ever seen.—
Steve Pickett,
CBS News,
22 Apr. 2026
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Remove the stain by simply polishing it.—
Lauren Wicks,
Southern Living,
15 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Application workshops on filing a claim will be held in Boise on May 1-2 at the Idaho State Museum in Julia Davis Park.—
Becca Savransky,
Idaho Statesman,
26 Apr. 2026
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Two Stagecoach festival attendees, Ellie, 27, and Angelique, 22, sat at tables farther back from the stage watching people filing out of the festival.—
Mikael Wood,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Embrace the act of adding to a work table's patina, let your copper sit on display, and don't worry about sanding and re-staining old wood.—
Tessa Cooper,
The Spruce,
27 Apr. 2026
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The technique still needs sanding, and zero interceptions in 48 career games is concerning, but McCutchin’s combine testing gave his draft case a nice shot of nitrous.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Ngo coats the nail with a matte primer, which creates a smooth base, before buffing eye shadow across the surface with a nail sponge.—
Annie Blay-Tettey,
Allure,
27 Apr. 2026
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These provide enough force for buffing out scratches without further damaging the surface.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Honing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/honing. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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