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
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.
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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Cite this Entry

“Sharpen up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sharpen%20up. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.

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