1
as in sharpened
having an edge thin enough to cut or pierce something
be careful, as that knife is sharp enough to slice off a finger
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2
as in spicy
having a powerfully stimulating odor or flavor
that cheese is so sharp that its rank aroma can practically clear a room
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3
4
as in stylish
being in the latest or current fashion
wore a sharp suit to his first big job interview
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5
as in elegant
being strikingly neat and trim in style or appearance
a television personality who's known as a sharp dresser
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6
as in biting
causing intense discomfort to one's skin
I got chapped lips from sailing all day in that sharp wind
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7
as in deceptive
given to or marked by cheating and deception
sharp business practices that are being investigated by the state's consumer protection agency
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8
as in smart
having or showing a practical cleverness or judgment
a sharp customer who wasn't about to be taken in by that smooth-tongued salesman
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9
as in intelligent
having or showing quickness of mind
any sharp student would have noticed the error immediately
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10
as in sarcastic
marked by the use of wit that is intended to cause hurt feelings
an unnecessarily sharp retort to a perfectly civil question
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11
as in sensitive
able to sense slight impressions or differences
you have sharp eyes
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12
as in chilling
uncomfortably cool
a spell of unusually sharp weather for this time of year
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as in right
as stated or indicated without the slightest difference
be there at four o'clock sharp
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as in adept
a person with a high level of knowledge or skill in a field
the computer sharp that the rest of the staff turns to whenever their PCs act up
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sharp
India Espy-Jones, Essence, 21 Sep. 2023
President Barack Obama agreed to sharp spending curbs that only recently expired.
—Matthew Brown, BostonGlobe.com, 9 May 2023
Oliver Kay, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2025
Offensive coordinator Kirby Moore has welcomed the push on both sides and has emphasized the competition has kept each quarterback sharp knowing the other is ready.
—Zach Sweet, Kansas City Star, 14 Aug. 2025
Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 3 July 2023
The 27-year-old didn’t come out sharp, allowing three hits, including an RBI single to Royce Lewis, in a 27-pitch first inning.
—Jacob Calvin Meyer, Baltimore Sun, 1 July 2023
Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 18 July 2024
But without savers and gamblers to profit off of, the gains for sharps are limited.
—Dylan Matthews, Vox, 25 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for sharp
Adjective
That included everything from off-center parts at Simone Rocha to sharp, contrasting textures at KNWLS.
—India Espy-Jones, Essence, 21 Sep. 2023
President Barack Obama agreed to sharp spending curbs that only recently expired.
—Matthew Brown, BostonGlobe.com, 9 May 2023
Adverb
At the same time, Jota’s death has brought certain things into sharp context, about how fragile life — and within that, something like a football career — can be.
—Oliver Kay, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2025
Offensive coordinator Kirby Moore has welcomed the push on both sides and has emphasized the competition has kept each quarterback sharp knowing the other is ready.
—Zach Sweet, Kansas City Star, 14 Aug. 2025
Noun
In 2021, prior to BTS temporarily splitting off into individual sectors while some members pursue solo projects and others complete their mandatory military service, Jung Kook spoke to Rolling Stone about keeping his skillset sharp across the board.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 3 July 2023
The 27-year-old didn’t come out sharp, allowing three hits, including an RBI single to Royce Lewis, in a 27-pitch first inning.
—Jacob Calvin Meyer, Baltimore Sun, 1 July 2023
Verb
But surely a guy a sharp as Tenax will see a way to turn this bloodline to his advantage.
—Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 18 July 2024
But without savers and gamblers to profit off of, the gains for sharps are limited.
—Dylan Matthews, Vox, 25 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for sharp
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sharp
Adjective
-
But now this metropolis of some 2 million people has more and more options for later in the day, ranging from an intimate dining counter where a local chef nerds out about indigenous ingredients to a sleek izakaya bar where the city’s scene-seeking gastronomes gather for spicy tuna hand rolls.—
Ann Abel,
Forbes.com,
21 Aug. 2025
-
Pepper jelly is the secret to perfectly caramelized pork chops packed with sweet and spicy flavor.—
Brennan Long,
Southern Living,
19 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Featuring pointed ears, jagged teeth and a mischievous grin, the rabbit-ish toy is flying off store shelves around the world and being collected by celebrities including Rihanna, Kim Kardashian and Lisa from the K-pop group Blackpink.—
Yue Wang,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
-
Roberts still acknowledged this all becomes more of a conversation if the Dodgers can get closer to full strength, anyway, before retracting some of his pointed criticism of Hernández from Monday night and doubling down on his belief Hernández can improve his range.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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This stylish set is currently 65 percent off in four colors, so don’t miss your chance to snag it before your next vacation.—
Destinee Scott,
Travel + Leisure,
24 Aug. 2025
-
Since its introduction in 2012, the V-MODA M-100 PRO series of DJ headphones has been popular with plenty of professional DJs around the world, mainly thanks to their stylish design and V-MODA’s distinctive sonic character.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
23 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Suddenly, a classic white T-shirt and jeans combo has become dynamic, interesting, and highly elegant.—
Paulina Berges,
Glamour,
16 Aug. 2025
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Clad in stainless steel, the hall’s sweeping concave and convex forms are at once a frothy and elegant statement on Grand Avenue.—
R. Daniel Foster,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The socially biting comedy comes out at a time of political unrest in Argentina under Javier Milei’s presidency, a government marked by several funding cuts to culture.—
Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
6 Aug. 2025
-
No one mentioned the annoying swarms of tiny biting midges that plague Scotland’s west coast in the summer.—
Angus MacKinnon,
CNN Money,
3 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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These emails are loaded with deceptive links that lead to malware infections, and the consequences can be severe.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
14 Aug. 2025
-
Match Group, the parent company of Match.com, Tinder, Hinge, OkCupid, and PlentyOfFish, has agreed to pay $14 million to settle a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission about deceptive advertising practices.—
Chris Morris,
Fortune,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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From supporting local zoning reforms to promoting smart federal investments, our goal is simple: expand access to homeownership.—
Collyn Wainwright,
The Tennessean,
21 Aug. 2025
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That’s where the real value is, and that’s what smart leadership looks like.—
Paul Getter,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Across a wide network, each unit can become intelligent by deploying state-of-the-art technologies and AI, but also by gaining easy access to insights from more successful locations.—
Andrei Danescu,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
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The scaling hypothesis—the belief that bigger models will produce more intelligent outputs—seems to rest on the dubious belief that a system that has been fed enough information about the world will not have to deal with fuzziness.—
Meghan O’Gieblyn,
Harpers Magazine,
20 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sharp.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sharp. Accessed 27 Aug. 2025.
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