as in rubs
to make smooth or glossy usually by repeatedly applying surface pressure
burnished the floor of the ballroom to a soft luster
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Recent Examples of burnishes
Unconcerned by matters like health insurance and 401(k) contributions, her presence burnishes the reputation of the magazine as an arbiter of good taste.
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New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
In exchange, the company burnishes its halo of high-mindedness, receives the right to feature famous works on its T-shirts, and gets to stage events in empty galleries or under an iconic glass pyramid, furthering the idea that its interests lie in Life as much as in Wear.
—Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for burnishes
Verb
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Dramatic silence after someone makes a comment that rubs them the wrong way.—
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Finally, with the boom of a cannon and the roar of the crowd, each team member and coach rubs Howard’s Rock for luck before hurtling down the hill toward the home sideline.—
Verb
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The vacuum has a fluffy optic cleaner head that not only cleans but also polishes hard floors.—
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The Pillbox The most elegant of the bunch, the pillbox hat instantly polishes any look.—
Verb
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The light fabric smooths bumps and moves with you through workouts while still being comfortable for lounging.—
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This hybrid balm-powder formula delivers rich pigment with a soft-matte payoff that blurs the look of pores and smooths uneven skin.—
Verb
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In Sentimental Value, Reinsve shines in her performance as Nora, an actress and estranged daughter to an aging film director played by Stellan Skarsgård.—
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The book also shines a prominent light on how attitudes toward certain drugs have changed over time by showing when and where they were embraced.—
Cite this Entry
“Burnishes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burnishes. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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