Home-In-On-Hone-In-On | Commonly Confused Words
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Master confusing words with ease

Home in on vs. Hone in on

Home in on

/ həʊm ɪn ɒn /
To focus on or move towards something with precision or strong determination.

Examples:

The cat homed in on the rustling sound in the bush.As he spoke, the children homed in on his every word.The software can home in on text errors automatically.

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Hone in on

/ həʊn ɪn ɒn /
To focus closely and directly on something or someone

Examples:

The detective began to hone in on the suspect's whereabouts.As the storm approached, they honed in on safety protocols.Scientists are honing in on a cure for the disease.

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Ways to tell them apart:

etymology
  • Home in on is similar to a homing pigeon finding its way home; it indicates moving directly towards a target or focus.
  • Hone refers to sharpening or refining something, like honing a skill.
  • Think of home as in finding your way home or target; think of hone as sharpening a knife to make it more precise.
  • Using home implies zeroing in on a destination; using hone implies improving or refining with effort.
  • Remember: Home in is about direction and focus; hone is about improvement and refinement.
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