hone in
verb
George PlimptonBob GreeneLisa Russell
Hone in vs. Home in: Usage Guide
Most usage commentators consider hone in to be a mistake for home in. The use may have arisen from home in by the weakening of the \m\ sound to \n\ or it may have developed simply because of the influence of hone, with perhaps an underlying sense that "honing" figuratively involves a narrowing or sharpening of focus. Whatever the explanation of its origins, it has established itself in American English and has begun to make a few inroads into British English as well. Even so, your use of it especially in writing is likely to be called a mistake. Home in or in figurative use zero in is an easy alternative.
Examples of hone in in a Sentence
Yola Robert, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025
Using recent satellite data, researchers have honed in on the underlying factors that are chipping away at the glacier’s surface.
—Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 11 July 2025
With this, pitches are scrapped in favor of interactive talks to hone in on the co-production landscape of the participating countries.
—Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 5 July 2025
In a world with countless chair types (and one too many knockoffs), honing in on one style can feel overwhelming.
—Rachel Fletcher, Architectural Digest, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for hone in
Cite this Entry
“Hone in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hone%20in. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
Copy Citation
Share