honing

American  

[hoh-ning] / ˈhoʊ nɪŋ /

noun

1. the act or process of sharpening something on a hone or whetstone.

   The precision alignment of the cutting machine’s knife is not affected by the honing of the sharp edge.

2. the act or process of improving or perfecting a skill, program, idea, etc..

   In the third and fourth years the emphasis is on advanced training, with further honing of skills and attainment of competency.

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adjective

1. serving to sharpen or perfect.

   It is always a honing experience for us to come here and answer your questions—we leave a little sharper than we were before.

Etymology

Origin of honing

First recorded in 1790–1800; hone ¹ + -ing ¹ for the noun senses; hone ¹ + -ing ² for the adjective sense

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

honing

In an adjoining room, Mr. Blair was honing his scheduled remarks when he heard of the second crash.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

The 19-year-old, sporting a budding beard, usually operates from home, filling lulls by watching the TV show Criminal Minds or honing his drone-flying skills on a simulator.

From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026

If only “HOTD” had put as much effort into honing its characters’ internal battles as it did depicting bloody conflicts across Westeros.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

Unlike most of his predecessors, he had not spent decades honing his political skills and building alliances with colleagues.

From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026

I spent three years at Miss Preston’s honing my combat skills, refining my manners, getting an education.

From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland

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