There is no word likes "홈치다". If you were heard like that, maybe it was dialectal sound of "훔치다(2)".
There are two words pronounced "훔치다":
One is "steal", and other is "wipe sth up".
"훔치다" usually means first one. Because "닦다" is more common word for wiping sth. But Korean(especially older people) sometimes use 훔치다(2) wiping a floor, table, or tears.
In addition, 눈물을 훔치다(wipe one's tears) is very literary style. Also mostly used in third person.