hone

verb

ˈhōn How to pronounce hone (audio)
Definition of honenext
1
as in to sharpen
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 to rub
to make smooth by friction honed the edge of the axe until it was amazingly sharp

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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 hone Martin follows a series of steps he’s honed over the last 17 years of dying clients silver. — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 25 Sep. 2026 Pre-reading skills, for example, are easier to develop in the language a child has been honing since birth. — Kate Sequeira, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026 This requires that software developers understand how to prompt AI with relevant and highly honed questions, validate outputs, understand the limitations of AI models and maintain accountability for the final product. — Alberto Lugo, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026 However, the strategy is less about reinventing Rag & Bone than honing its house codes for both retail and product. — Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 23 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hone
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hone
  1. sharpen
  2. rub
  3. polish
  4. sand
  5. grind
  6. file
Verb
  • The Quick Edge Knife Sharpener has more than 11,000 positive reviews and sharpens almost any straight-edge knife with just a couple of gentle passes.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
  • The decision to wind down Cruise and refocus on personal autonomy sharpened the company’s priorities, Barra said.
    — Alyson Shontell, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of sharpen
Verb
  • September 23 – October 22 Money and social plans could rub each other the wrong way today.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Libra September 23 – October 22 Money and social plans could rub each other the wrong way today.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of rub
Verb
  • Each refillable case secures with a satisfying magnetic closure, and is polished with an alabaster finish.
    — Kiana Murden, Vogue, 6 Oct. 2026
  • These natural diamonds are often cloudy and oddly shaped, and lose about 25% of their weight as they're cut and polished into what a jeweler would sell, according to Nathan Renfro, senior manager at the Gemological Institute of America.
    — LAURA TURBAY, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of polish
Verb
  • The roughly 7,300-square-foot residence has been adapted for contemporary living without completely sanding away what came before.
    — Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Bass delves into the ease (or difficulty) of loving people in terms anyone could grasp, sanding down the uniqueness of Cyrus’s viewpoint.
    — Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of sand
Verb
  • Hitler wanted more dead, but his early lightning victories—Poland beaten in weeks, France in forty days—had turned into a grinding nightmare for the Nazis.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The Raunchiest Miley Cyrus shocked viewers by stripping down to a nude bikini top and briefs and grinding, twerking and thrusting on fellow performer Robin Thicke at the 2013 show in one of the raciest performances in MTV history.
    — Kate Hogan, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of grind
Verb
  • The Cornell 7 lawsuit refers to the legal document filed by an unnamed Cornell University student who accused seven men of raping and drugging her at a frat house party in October 2024 — and faced no legal consequences.
    — Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Dozens of similar lawsuits have been filed on whether cities can sue oil and gas companies over damage linked to global warming.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of file

Browse Nearby Words

honchos
hone
honed
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Cite this Entry

“Hone.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hone. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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