sharpened 1 of 2

sharpened

2 of 2

verb

past tense of sharpen
as in edged
to make sharp or sharper you need to sharpen your penknife's blade frequently in order to be able to whittle properly

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sharpened
Adjective
  • The Republican president has said crime in the city was at emergency levels that only such federal intervention could fix — even as District of Columbia leaders pointed to statistics showing violent crime at a 30-year low after a sharp rise two years ago.
    Lindsay Whitehurst, Chicago Tribune, 14 Aug. 2025
  • The comments were greeted by sharp statements from several Arab states, which condemned the use of the term as provocative and counterproductive to peace.
    Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Two weeks later, the Virgo solar eclipse asks you to ground those dreams by actually making the calls, sending the emails, or writing down the plan.
    Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 29 Aug. 2025
  • Characters are given room to breathe and joke around, and every scene feels lived-in and grounded.
    Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 28 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • But Thunderbolts* is sharper edged than what’s come before.
    Richard Newby, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
  • Putting heavy or edged objects atop the cord may damage or pinch it, potentially causing short circuits.
    Matthew Korfhage, WIRED, 24 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The cast rattles off the snappy dialogue, jagged with tension and menace, in performances that wink just slyly enough at the wry, knowing way that the characters deploy—and embody—gangland stereotypes.
    Richard Brody, New Yorker, 28 Aug. 2025
  • 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
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Sharpened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sharpened. Accessed 3 Sep. 2025.

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