perfecting

verb

present participle of perfect
1
as in finishing
to bring (something) to a state where nothing remains to be done perfected the arrangements for their long-awaited European vacation

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2
as in improving
to make better an art teacher who seems to believe that you can always perfect a painting with some additional brush strokes

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of perfecting That’s the rhythm, the moral and spiritual roller-coaster of perfecting our imperfect union. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026 Mother Nature spent millions of years perfecting the maple seed’s gentle spiral to the forest floor and the fish’s swift flick through open water. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 30 Sep. 2026 The rest of the time is spent advocating for their place and perfecting their visual identity. — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 29 Sep. 2026 Not unlike the arsenal of menopause marketing, which includes in its targets women pre- and post-, this exuberance about perfecting our vaginas is aimed at every woman who’s entered the life stage that includes menarche. — Valerie Monroe, Allure, 21 Sep. 2026 How to Conduct a Fair Lineup The story of Ervin Harris illustrates the importance of perfecting lineup procedures. — Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2026 Too often, teams spend months perfecting a model before real users see it. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026 While her own family has never stepped foot in Taiwan, Lily holds onto the belief that perfecting her Mandarin will finally reconcile the shortcomings of being a diaspora kid. — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Sep. 2026 Knowing how to apply lipstick is one of those essential beauty skills worth mastering, alongside nailing how to apply cream blush and perfecting your base. — Emma-Jade Stoddart, Glamour, 4 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for perfecting
  1. finishing
  2. improving
  3. completing
  4. enhancing
Verb
  • In 2024 the Dolphins began that season 2-6 before finishing out the year 6-3.
    — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The franchise man continues to build a strong rapport with his receivers, finishing 23-of-41 for 276 yards with a touchdown pass to Matthew Golden, who led the game with 104 yards on six grabs.
    — Scott Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of finishing
Verb
  • Boston Dynamics’ approach focuses on improving the connection between engineering and manufacturing, with faster component production and assembly intended to support more rapid development.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Seaport upgrades Ralliant to buy from neutral Seaport said the outlook is improving.
    — Michael Bloom, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of improving
Verb
  • China has launched 258 Qianfan satellites over a series of missions since 2024, on the way to completing an initial constellation of 1,296 satellites, with longer-term ambitions of more than 15,000.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Reno, twice the Ivy Player of the Week already this season, misfired on more passes than not this time, completing 15 of 38 for 105 yards, two second-half touchdowns, and one interception.
    — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of completing
Verb
  • Among the felony charges Textor faces are five counts of fraud against a financial institution, 13 counts of forgery, two counts of counterfeiting, five counts of fraud and seven counts of fraud with enhancing circumstances.
    — Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Despite this, national reports indicate continued use of performance- and appearance-enhancing drugs, and increasing interest in them.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of enhancing

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perfecting
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Cite this Entry

“Perfecting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/perfecting. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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