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
Benjamin Oreskes, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2024
The combination of the new energy and the nurturing nature of Cancers is going to cause these signs to really hone in on their relationships, platonic or otherwise.
—Stephanie Sengwe, Peoplemag, 19 June 2024
The piece is a reminder that the incredible craftsmanship honed in Schlumberger’s era is alive and well today.
—Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 12 June 2024
The key in the development of the test, Parnas said, is to identify disease markers in the blood and develop technology that can hone in on a very small sample that may be present in blood signaling the patient may have Alzheimer's.
—Binghui Huang, The Indianapolis Star, 15 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hone in 
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.
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Cite this Entry
“Hone in.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hone%20in. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
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