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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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of hone
Now, Gemini: The cold was a blade against the skin, honed sharp by the endless northern dark beneath the sentinel pines.
—
Kelsey Piper, Vox, 12 May 2025
Mahler and Chen Yi in Berkeley: Established in 1923, the UC Berkeley Symphony Orchestra has been honing the talents of university musicians since 1923.
—Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 8 May 2025
Volunteers from West Volusia Audubon Society lead this monthly program series, which includes class instruction and field opportunities to hone your skills.
—Joe Rassel, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 May 2025
After graduating from the prestigious Louis-Lumière film school, the cinematographer honed her eye shooting projects for Christophe Honoré, Agnès Varda and Sandrine Veysset.
—Ben Croll, Variety, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for hone
Kelsey Piper, Vox, 12 May 2025
Mahler and Chen Yi in Berkeley: Established in 1923, the UC Berkeley Symphony Orchestra has been honing the talents of university musicians since 1923.
—Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 8 May 2025
Volunteers from West Volusia Audubon Society lead this monthly program series, which includes class instruction and field opportunities to hone your skills.
—Joe Rassel, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 May 2025
After graduating from the prestigious Louis-Lumière film school, the cinematographer honed her eye shooting projects for Christophe Honoré, Agnès Varda and Sandrine Veysset.
—Ben Croll, Variety, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for hone
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hone
Verb
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The edge gap is the widening space between marketing strategies that sharpen a brand’s competitive edge and those dulled by algorithmic automation, uniform targeting and the rinse-and-repeat logic of platform and industry best practice.—
Liam Wade,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
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In any event, this is an opportunity to sharpen your skills, whether through studying or mastering a new way to relay messages.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
23 May 2025
Verb
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Better yet—especially for those with a delicate face of glam—there’s no need to rub the touchless formula in once it’s applied.—
Jenny Berg,
Vogue,
23 May 2025
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Keep the cables taut at all times, and protect the bark from rubbing by using rags or short sections of old garden hose.—
Neil Sperry,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
22 May 2025
Verb
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Pryor was a savant at polishing his challenging circumstances and debilitating neuroses into crowd-pleasing material, and this is broadly how he’s remembered in comedy history.—
Vulture Staff,
Vulture,
23 May 2025
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The company has also really polished its software over the years, offering lots of customization.—
Julian Chokkattu,
Wired News,
23 May 2025
Verb
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The Middle East is no stranger to sand and dust storms.—
Sanam Mahoozi,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
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Then it must be sanded smooth and weatherproofed before being decorated.—
Beth Lipoff,
Kansas City Star,
21 May 2025
Verb
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The turmeric roots were chosen carefully and crushed on a sil batta (a traditional flat stone used for grinding), mixed with rosewater and milk, and placed into a ceremonial bowl.—
Sara Hussain,
Vogue,
22 May 2025
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Since Hamas’s devastating attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and Israel’s large-scale response, pro-Palestinian protests spread across the United States, including at Israeli consulates and college campuses, during the grinding conflict in Gaza.—
Adam Goldman,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
Verb
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Neither Blanco nor federal prosecutors have filed motions since the jurors testified, though they are expected to do so in the coming months with arguments about whether Patron should be granted a new trial.—
Alex Riggins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 June 2025
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The Initial Court Challenges The parties then filed competing actions to vacate or confirm the award.—
Chris Deubert,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Hone.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hone. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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