hone in
B2 neutral inseparable intransitive
In simple words
Aim carefully at something specific or focus sharply on it
Meanings
1 B2
idiomatic
neutral
To direct one's attention or efforts precisely toward a specific target or issue (variant of 'home in on')
"The therapist helped him hone in on the root cause of his anxiety."
Grammar: inseparable
Usage notes
Usage note: Many style guides and prescriptive grammarians consider 'hone in' to be a mistake for 'home in'. However, it is now so widespread in both American and British English that Merriam-Webster and others accept it. ESL learners should be aware of the controversy and may prefer 'home in' in formal writing.
Commonly used with
issue problem cause target detail weakness
Forms
Base
hone in
I/you/we/they
3rd person
hones in
he/she/it
Past simple
honed in
yesterday
Past participle
honed in
have + pp
-ing form
honing in
continuous
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Synonyms
home in on zero in on focus on pinpoint lock onto converge on
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