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

Example Sentences

From the age of seven, the star began honing his craft at the 3 Hammers Golf Complex under the watchful eye of pro Darren Prosser.

From BBC • May 18, 2026

Over more than two decades as a professional gambler, Tony Bloom made his fortune playing high-stakes poker, wagering on soccer and cricket, and honing an approach so coldblooded that he was nicknamed “The Lizard.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

Beyond that, you can speak to artisans who’ve been honing their craft, in some cases, for decades.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

But Palantir was only able to capitalize on the AI opportunity after over a decade of honing its FDE strategy.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 4, 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