Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

home in

Word Rarity Common

Frequency: Zipf frequency 5.80 in modern English

Syllables: home- in
IPA

11

Scrabble Score

6

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To draw close to a destination, especially using radar; to move towards a target.

verb

To focus or narrow down to something; to find, draw closer or move towards, as by trial and error or a gradual seeking process.

Example Sentences

"He used the clues to home in on the source of the flames."
"We are homing in on a solution."
"The eagle homed in for the kill."
"Homing in on the way someone presents can help you imitate them; for instance, some prefer to get right down to business, focusing on data and facts."

Etymology

The phrase originates in military use in the early 20th century, apparently by analogy with the older term homing pigeon. From the 1960s it is also found in the mistaken variant hone in. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hone+in

Inflected Forms

homes in (present, singular) homing in (participle, present) homed in (participle, past) homed in (past) hone in (alternative, proscribed)

Phrases

homing pigeon

Frequently Paired Words

homing homing pigeon lock in lock on

Synonyms

zero in range in

Questions

What does home in mean?: To draw close to a destination, especially using radar; to move towards a target.
Where does home in come from?: The phrase originates in military use in the early 20th century, apparently by analogy with the older term homing pigeon. From the 1960s it is also found in the mistaken variant hone in. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hone+in

How to pronounce home in

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “home in”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
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Repeat and practice — Say “home in” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.