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.

---

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

---

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

Rowan wanted to despise all of this, but there was something about honing one’s skill, no matter the nature of that skill, that was rewarding.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---