1
as in sharpens
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 rubs
to make smooth by friction
honed the edge of the axe until it was amazingly sharp
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Recent Examples of hones
Both films revolved around Mitchie (Lovato), who hones her vocal talents at the camp alongside the Gray brothers Shane (Joe Jonas), Nate (Nick Jonas), and Jason (Kevin Jonas).
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Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Sep. 2025
To survive a ruthless winnowing—to go from one of about 16,000 high-school quarterbacks each year to one of the 10 good ones in the NFL to one of the three or so each generation who earn the Hall of Fame’s gold jacket—hones certain traits within them and strips others away.
—Seth Wickersham, The Atlantic, 8 Sep. 2025
Training also hones employability skills and offers guidance for honing college and career paths.
—Beth Warren, Nashville Tennessean, 1 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hones
Verb
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Dialing up that Corsa setting makes maximum engine boost available on demand, sharpens the throttle, firms the suspension, and throws active exhaust valves open at all times.—
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During all holidays and at frequent Italian dinners in-between, the family keeps their edge — and sharpens Liv’s — in intense games of Nerts (a fast-paced, multiplayer card game), flag football, cornhole, washers, wiffleball and various other games.—
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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But Kingstown grinds him up through the prison riots, through being fired from his job to accidentally being responsible for the death of his mother.—
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But Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby mustered just two shot attempts apiece, spending their time watching idly as the Knicks offense incessantly grinds into a standstill.—
Verb
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Chapman sands his board occasionally to remove this top layer of funk.—
Verb
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Disney Legend Bob MatheisonDisneyland files permits to begin construction on new parking garage recalled the construction of an Adventureland stage that featured a waterfall, according to the D23 Disney Legends website.—
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That depends on whether a taxpayer files electronically or submits a paper return, as well as whether the IRS identifies any problems with a filing.—
Cite this Entry
“Hones.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hones. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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