hone in
verb
George PlimptonBob GreeneLisa Russell
Hone in vs. Home in: Usage Guide
Most usage commentators consider hone in to be a mistake for home in. The use may have arisen from home in by the weakening of the \m\ sound to \n\ or it may have developed simply because of the influence of hone, with perhaps an underlying sense that "honing" figuratively involves a narrowing or sharpening of focus. Whatever the explanation of its origins, it has established itself in American English and has begun to make a few inroads into British English as well. Even so, your use of it especially in writing is likely to be called a mistake. Home in or in figurative use zero in is an easy alternative.
Examples of hone in in a Sentence
Lauren Huff, EW.com, 27 Mar. 2024
Small businesses hone in on market for big shoes
Brandon Eley is president and co-founder of 2BigFeet, a shoe store based in LaGrange, Georgia that opened in late 1998.
—Saleen Martin, USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2024
So, the vacation rental booking company honed in on the highlights, announcing its 2024 Vacation Rentals of the Year.
—Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 20 Mar. 2024
With their comeback, the members chose to hone in on their signature sound.
—Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 18 Mar. 2024
First, Renaud honed in on the micro-rotor’s key weakness: to function properly, the micro-rotor, in its current design, requires a large amplitude of movement to produce energy.
—Cait Bazemore, Robb Report, 18 Mar. 2024
The United Auto Workers announced its endorsement of President Biden on Wednesday, a key, if expected, show of support as the president hones in on the general election.
—Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 24 Jan. 2024
Just really honing in and learning a lot of things behind the plate.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 22 Feb. 2024
Seeing ‘starbursts’ more clearly This new image hones in on a region called N79 South, or S1.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 25 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hone in.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
alteration of home in
1965, in the meaning defined above
Articles Related to hone in
Dictionary Entries Near hone in
Cite this Entry
“Hone in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hone%20in. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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