hone in

verb

honed in; honing in; hones in

intransitive verb

: to move toward or focus attention on an objective

looking back for the ball honing in—

George Plimpton

a missile honing in on its target—

Bob Greene

hones in on the plights and victories of the common man—

Lisa 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

Recent Examples on the Web

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This election, Trump is looking to rebuild that winning formula, and his final rally honed in on the manufacturing roots of those states and voters who originally backed him. —

Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024 Democrats move to flip East End blue While Republicans are hoping to gain ground in the southwest, Democrats are honing in on Louisville's East End. —

Eleanor McCrary, The Courier-Journal, 4 Nov. 2024 There’s no wrong way to eat a Reese’s — and the brand is honing in on that catchphrase even more now. —

Sabrina Weiss, People.com, 4 Nov. 2024 Over time, Iyer’s practice of Deepavali has evolved as she’s honed in on what her own personal journey to her spiritual connection is. —

Prinita Thevarajah, Architectural Digest, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hone in