HONED Synonyms: 57 Similar and Opposite Words

honed 1 of 2

adjective

as in sharpened

having an edge thin enough to cut or pierce something using a finely honed butcher knife will make cutting meat easier

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

honed

2 of 2

verb

past tense of hone

as in whetted

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

as in rubbed

to make smooth by friction honed the edge of the axe until it was amazingly sharp

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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 honed

Verb

The aesthetic Chesky honed at the Rhode Island School of Design permeates his San Francisco headquarters, a former Eveready battery factory whose meeting rooms look like Airbnb rentals from around the world. — Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 23 Oct. 2026 All honed their craft under the theatre's guidance either in-house or with its traveling group of actors. — La'tasha Givens, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026 The simplest message, however, may be one first honed by the CDC sixty years ago. — Nicholas Florko, STAT, 21 Oct. 2026 Much has been made of the recent success of Obsession and Backrooms, which both came from filmmakers who honed their craft on YouTube. — Tom Tapp, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2026 Families can share experiences instead of hunching over devices, skills can be honed, big business can streamline development. — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 20 Oct. 2026 This zone defense has been honed through years of sitting with journalists like me, answering questions like this. — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 16 Oct. 2026 Over 18 months, Bormann and Category 5 K9 honed Canyon’s natural skills toward search-and-rescue work and helped the dog gain strength and confidence. — Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 2 Oct. 2026 Walnut, aged brass, honed marble, and linen textiles also stand out beautifully against its dark, smoky presence. — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 1 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for honed

Adjective

Someone slaps a strip of medical tape across their lips, promises you deeper sleep, fewer snores and a sharper jawline by morning, then cuts to a dreamy sunrise shot.

— Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026
And while Kim tends to gravitate toward body-conscious silhouettes and plenty of skin, Kris has made a signature of sharp tailoring, statement accessories, and an unapologetic dose of flash.

— Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of sharp

Verb

With polls showing Jackson ahead but within the margin of error, both sides have sharpened their attacks.

— Julia Terruso, Time, 26 Oct. 2026
Scallop crudo, a wedge salad piled with jumbo lump crab and sharpened with wasabi dressing, and a lobster roll with saffron coleslaw sit comfortably alongside American classics like a double cheeseburger and fries.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of sharpened

Verb

Brewster-walker guides me up a back road to a grassy knoll dotted with gravestones polished smooth by the salt breeze.

— Jason Motlagh, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2026
As part of the extensive refurbishment, the vehicle was rid of some aftermarket add-ons and had its exterior smoothed out and polished to a brilliant, like-new shine.

— Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of polished

Verb

The University of Arizona Police Department, which filed the search warrant, said on Tuesday that the investigation was ongoing.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2026
Davis’s letter follows a separate ethics complaint filed by a conservative watchdog group to the Senate Select Committee on Ethics over Slotkin’s University of Chicago remarks, first reported by the Washington Examiner on Tuesday.

— Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of filed

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hone

honed

honed in (on)

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Style

“Honed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/honed. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of honed

adjective

verb

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