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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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
Meanwhile, back in Boston and later at the Cousins Beach House, Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) is honing his skills as a chef, and Taylor (Rain Spencer) organized a PR campaign for him.
—
Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 17 Sep. 2025
Here, 20 members of Forbes Coaches Council share soft skills professionals will need to stay resilient as the world of work continues to evolve them, underscoring the importance of honing human capabilities that technology can’t replicate.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Two years painstakingly transforming a 200-year-old Philadelphia row house into the restaurant equivalent of a Formula 1 car; nearly 20 more honing his skills in kitchens across the city, learning, sharpening, waiting.
—The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 Sep. 2025
What Shore was doing during those first days roaming Manhattan with his camera was not just acquiring formal skills but also honing a particular quality of attention that would serve him for the rest of his career.
—Chris Wiley, New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2025
Sawkins continued honing his craft at the Amaury Guichon Pastry Academy in Las Vegas.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Sep. 2025
This budget-friendly Presto knife sharpener features a two-stage sharpening system for grinding knife blades and honing them to a polished and sharp finish.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 9 Sep. 2025
Before that, Leblanc held senior roles in design and product development at Isabel Marant, Céline and Sonia Rykiel, and later led womenswear buying at French department store chain Printemps, honing her eye for both creativity and commercial viability.
—Wwd Staff, Footwear News, 8 Sep. 2025
In between is a huge chessboard for honing skills of strategy and guile while catching a tan.
—Mark David, Robb Report, 4 Sep. 2025
Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 17 Sep. 2025
Here, 20 members of Forbes Coaches Council share soft skills professionals will need to stay resilient as the world of work continues to evolve them, underscoring the importance of honing human capabilities that technology can’t replicate.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Two years painstakingly transforming a 200-year-old Philadelphia row house into the restaurant equivalent of a Formula 1 car; nearly 20 more honing his skills in kitchens across the city, learning, sharpening, waiting.
—The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 12 Sep. 2025
What Shore was doing during those first days roaming Manhattan with his camera was not just acquiring formal skills but also honing a particular quality of attention that would serve him for the rest of his career.
—Chris Wiley, New Yorker, 9 Sep. 2025
Sawkins continued honing his craft at the Amaury Guichon Pastry Academy in Las Vegas.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Sep. 2025
This budget-friendly Presto knife sharpener features a two-stage sharpening system for grinding knife blades and honing them to a polished and sharp finish.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 9 Sep. 2025
Before that, Leblanc held senior roles in design and product development at Isabel Marant, Céline and Sonia Rykiel, and later led womenswear buying at French department store chain Printemps, honing her eye for both creativity and commercial viability.
—Wwd Staff, Footwear News, 8 Sep. 2025
In between is a huge chessboard for honing skills of strategy and guile while catching a tan.
—Mark David, Robb Report, 4 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for honing
Verb
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Cudi has continued to refine his repertoire outside of music, sharpening his skills as a director, actor and writer for the silver screen.—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
19 Sep. 2025
-
No wrist fatigue, and gone are the days of sharpening my knives every week.—
Toni Sutton,
PEOPLE,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Wipe dust from hardware, lightly rubbing visibly dirty spots.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
16 Sep. 2025
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The sports star shared another full-length shot of the couple — who currently reside in Oslo — with their arms around each other on the same white sands, while a third closer-up image showed the couple smiling and rubbing noses.—
Kayla Grant,
PEOPLE,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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To keep auditors happy without grinding delivery to a halt, generate evidence packs straight from your PLM and CI/CD pipelines.—
Ranganath Taware,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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Big picture, the stock market has been grinding higher in a sturdy trend, though with some fatigue below the surface.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This is why authorities at the National Park Service, which maintains the statue, have repeatedly rejected any notion of polishing away the green covering.—
Theo Burman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Silver Centerpieces For anyone who's ever gotten stuck polishing silver, there's good news.—
Heather Bien,
Southern Living,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Missing these deadlines can result in penalties and interest, even if a taxpayer is otherwise eligible for a refund when filing their return.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Sep. 2025
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Call your card servicer or visit its website for details on filing a claim.—
David McMillin,
CNBC,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Even the DeSantis administration might have some qualms about sanding off crosswalk markings within sight of the club where 49 people died in the early morning hours of June 12, 2016.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 Aug. 2025
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The acid can stain or discolor the surface, possibly requiring sanding to remove.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
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If needed, follow that up by buffing with a clean microfiber cloth.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
12 Sep. 2025
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Instead, Bungie rolled out a TWAB last week that was nerfing player progression instead of buffing it.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
28 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Honing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/honing. Accessed 22 Sep. 2025.
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