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

Up-close and personal, Eleanor’s camera reveals the massive undertaking of producing a movie at this scale, honing in on small, intricate details to convey her daughter’s meticulousness.

From Salon ● Oct. 20, 2026

Evenepoel devotes more time than anyone in the peloton to testing equipment and honing his position on the bike.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026

Pre-reading skills, for example, are easier to develop in the language a child has been honing since birth.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026

They are a party honing their messaging before the next general election.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

He never stopped thinking about his argument, honing it, and figuring out how to put it across better in future editions of the book.

From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman

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