sharpen up
phrasal verb
sharpened up; sharpening up; sharpens up
1
: to become better, smarter, more skillful, etc.
You'd better sharpen up if you want to keep your job.
2
: to improve (something)
I took a course to sharpen up my computer skills.
Examples of sharpen up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Advice like meditating daily for an hour or sharpening up our golf game for networking purposes is useless to women because none of us have time for that.
—
Cherie Kloss, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
Special teams will need to sharpen up in Buffalo, as the Sabres have won five of their past six games and scored 30 goals in the process, leaving little margin for error.
—Andrew Knoll, Orange County Register, 24 Feb. 2025
Don't be afraid to sharpen up and get some skill sets on how to present effectively.
—Tax Notes Staff, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
This bestselling option delivers 15 minutes of continuous steam to relax wrinkles and sharpen up pleats.
—Ashley Davis, WWD, 2 Dec. 2024
Perhaps extending the Division Series to a best-of-seven rather than a best-of-five would be a help, giving division winners more time to sharpen up.
—Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 10 Oct. 2024
The folky-pop LP is a proper showcase of Abrams’ songwriting, sharpening up some of the clichés and adolescent metaphors from her debut.
—Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 24 June 2024
His Grassroots Spirit Remains Many Spanish and South American players in La Liga would have sharpened up by playing futsal at a young age.
—Henry Flynn, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023
Hard cornering is flattened out by an active anti-roll system, while four-wheel steering sharpens up handling, as do the industry’s largest carbon-ceramic brakes.
—Jeremy Taylor, Robb Report, 11 June 2023
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Cherie Kloss, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025
Special teams will need to sharpen up in Buffalo, as the Sabres have won five of their past six games and scored 30 goals in the process, leaving little margin for error.
—Andrew Knoll, Orange County Register, 24 Feb. 2025
Don't be afraid to sharpen up and get some skill sets on how to present effectively.
—Tax Notes Staff, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
This bestselling option delivers 15 minutes of continuous steam to relax wrinkles and sharpen up pleats.
—Ashley Davis, WWD, 2 Dec. 2024
Perhaps extending the Division Series to a best-of-seven rather than a best-of-five would be a help, giving division winners more time to sharpen up.
—Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 10 Oct. 2024
The folky-pop LP is a proper showcase of Abrams’ songwriting, sharpening up some of the clichés and adolescent metaphors from her debut.
—Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 24 June 2024
His Grassroots Spirit Remains Many Spanish and South American players in La Liga would have sharpened up by playing futsal at a young age.
—Henry Flynn, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023
Hard cornering is flattened out by an active anti-roll system, while four-wheel steering sharpens up handling, as do the industry’s largest carbon-ceramic brakes.
—Jeremy Taylor, Robb Report, 11 June 2023
Cite this Entry
“Sharpen up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sharpen%20up. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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