1
as in sleek
having a shiny surface or finish
she could see her face reflected in the polished hood of the car
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cultured
having or showing a taste for the fine arts and gracious living
showing the polished manners of a cosmopolitan woman
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in smoothed
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in finished
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
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Recent Examples of polished
Annie Blackman, InStyle, 4 Apr. 2026
Designer Mimi Meacham shares her perspective regarding this shift towards more authentic spaces and offers tips for keeping the look polished.
—Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Apr. 2026
Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 10 Mar. 2026
This chic set is comfortable enough to sleep in, thanks to its elastic pull-on waistband, yet looks polished enough to wear right from the airport to lunch with friends, thanks to the stylish twist-tie detailing.
—Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for polished
Adjective
Drawstring pants are everywhere this spring—they’re comfortable, surprisingly polished, and super versatile.
—Annie Blackman, InStyle, 4 Apr. 2026
Designer Mimi Meacham shares her perspective regarding this shift towards more authentic spaces and offers tips for keeping the look polished.
—Kristina McGuirk, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Apr. 2026
Verb
The spotless streets are polished nightly by the feet of families licking ice cream.
—Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 10 Mar. 2026
This chic set is comfortable enough to sleep in, thanks to its elastic pull-on waistband, yet looks polished enough to wear right from the airport to lunch with friends, thanks to the stylish twist-tie detailing.
—Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for polished
Recent Examples of Synonyms for polished
Adjective
-
The days were spent in a sleek conference room, where guests gave talks.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
-
In a warm-weather Cactus League game late in February, the sleeker, stronger Waldron flung the fastest knuckleball many Padres had seen.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The syrupy sweetness brought to mind a pancake, while the faintly cultured cheese turned it savory.—
Cesar Hernandez,
San Francisco Chronicle,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Look for cultured cottage cheese to get an extra dose of probiotics.—
Philipp Wehsack,
Vogue,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The looming canyon nearly obscures sunlight, and sinuous, layered stone reveals warm burgundy, grey, and violet striations smoothed by centuries of flooding.—
Madison Chapman,
Outside,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Fronting the glittering waters of the Atlantic, the Louis XIII-style promenade is currently undergoing a multi-million-dollar renewal, its granite tiles buffed and smoothed, vegetation planted, and its sea lions by sculptor José Fioravanti returned to their former glory.—
Siobhan Reid,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The four-time All-Star and two-time all-league guard finished seventh in NBA MVP voting in each of the last two seasons.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
By the early summer, most of the bass have finished spawning in the shallows and have now pushed back to deeper water to find their summer haunts.—
Derek Horner,
Outdoor Life,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The live-action show is a rather loose adaptation of the original manga, presenting itself as a glossy prestige drama, a bit more serious than its source material.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
3 Apr. 2026
-
In a small saucepan, combine the guava marmalade, pineapple juice, brown sugar if using, and a pinch of salt, and warm until smooth and glossy.—
Kelly McCarthy,
ABC News,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
One does detect in Iran hawks a kind of 'will to destruction' and hatred of boring, civilized diplomacy.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The best actor nominee isn’t the only one noticing a significant change on the red carpet this season — though some events, like the annual VF Oscar Party, have always been more civilized than others.—
Rebecca Ford,
Vanity Fair,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
His grandiose persona rubbed many the wrong way early on, earning him a villain label.—
Pamela Chelin,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Mar. 2026
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And Jesse Leasure, who was drenched in pepper spray and felt like his skin was on fire and as though someone had rubbed his eyeballs with sandpaper.—
Olivia George,
Washington Post,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Because if not for that potential off-ramp of failing in the play-in and stumbling into the lottery, then the possibility of even more of this — a best-of-seven opening-round playoff series against an opponent that Wednesday night completed a 4-0 regular-season sweep.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Rockingham Speedway completed its remarkable revitalization and landed on the NASCAR schedule last spring.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Polished.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/polished. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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