Burnish – Polish by rubbing

To remember the definition of the word burnish, use the following mnemonic:

She burnt the dish (burnish) but the dog polished off the meal and licked the plate so much it looked polished.

She burnt the dish but the dog polished off the meal and licked the plate so much it looked polished.

Examples of burnish in a sentence

I applied car polish to my Porsche repeatedly, making sure to burnish it to perfection.

For many who desire to burnish their image, money is no object.

I intend to burnish my silver candlesticks so that they will gleam when we set them on the table tonight.