hone in on
phr. v..phr. v.. to focus all your attention on one specific thing or goal.
phr. v.. to direct one's attention or efforts with increasing precision toward a specific target or objective; often used as a variant of 'home in on'.
The investigators hone in on the main suspect.
After reviewing the data, the marketing team began to hone in on their target audience.
The research paper hones in on the specific genetic markers responsible for the disease's rapid progression in elderly patients.
- Particles
- in on
- Separability
- inseparable
- Pattern
- hone + in + on + object
often used with abstract targets like problems, ideas, or specific details.
mention that 'home in on' is the original version (like a homing pigeon), but 'hone in on' is now widely accepted in American English despite some traditionalists' objections.
They honed in the problem.They honed in on the problem.the preposition 'on' is essential to link the action to the object being focused upon.