hone in

[hohn in]

verb phrase

1. to focus one’s attention more narrowly or precisely on a particular task, issue, etc. (usually followed byon ).

   When we started looking for a condo, our agent took time with us to hone in on what we really wanted and needed.

   They run a workshop to help you hone in and understand the parts of the software that are most relevant for you.

2. to find, reach, or strike a target in a precise way, as with a camera, weapon, location device, or other instrument (usually followed byon ).

   They’re working to improve cameras that can hone in on a single object or pick a person out of a crowd.

Usage

Although increasingly common even in educated speech and writing, the expression hone in is in fact a corruption of home in. Home in was used originally of weapons moving toward their target (or “home”) under the control of an automatic aiming mechanism, and became a metaphor for focusing one’s attention on an objective. The similarity in sound between home and hone , and the fact that the basic meaning of the verb hone is “to sharpen,” explain why people use hone in when they’re thinking about “sharpening” their focus or aim. Style guides criticize this use, however, and careful speakers and writers will avoid it.

Word History and Origins

Origin of hone in¹

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

The panda’s radio collar beams a signal that the tracking equipment can hone in on to provide the animal's location coordinates.

Read more on Literature

She expects investors to hone in on margins “as Supermicro targeting larger customers and larger sales opportunities may result in cost of sales rising, and margins compressing, leading to revenue variability.”

Read more on Barron's

Pushing through those games, though, gave Snell a key to hone in on for the rest of the season.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Every year, you’re not even giving yourself time to really hone in on stuff.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

For many of those early starts, the right-hander didn’t even use his full arsenal of pitches, restricting himself to mostly fastballs and sweepers as he tried to hone in on his velocity and sharpen his rusty command.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• apply oneself to www.thesaurus.com
• concentrate 
• engage 
• fixate 
• pay attention to www.thesaurus.com
• pore over www.thesaurus.com