sharpened 1 of 2

adjective

as in sharp
having an edge thin enough to cut or pierce something the sharpened blade of a lawn mower

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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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of sharpened
Verb
There may have been little place for critique in his early images of the luxe life, but their satirical edge sharpened over time, hitting a peak in a spoof of tabloid sensationalism in the September, 1962, issue. — Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026 For a young family of four, the arrival of a second daughter sharpened the constraints of San Francisco life—namely less square footage at higher costs—eventually leading them north to Marin County. — Kristen Flanagan, Architectural Digest, 6 Oct. 2026 His battle with Stage 4 oral cancer brought the contours of his life into stark relief, sharpened by seven weeks of radiation and chemotherapy. — Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026 The decision to wind down Cruise and refocus on personal autonomy sharpened the company’s priorities, Barra said. — Alyson Shontell, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026 Meanwhile, in England and the United States and across continental Europe, statutes that punished idleness sharpened into vagrancy laws that gave police discretionary power to identify when a form of nonaction constituted criminal disorder. — Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026 An executive at Johnson Controls with experience as a project architect and manager, Kozlowski said his professional background had sharpened his approach to city projects, management and decision-making. — Haley Parsley, Sacbee.com, 29 Sep. 2026 The push to diversify marks a shift in the strategy Doustdar laid out after taking over as CEO last year, when Novo sharpened its focus on its core obesity and diabetes businesses and moved away from expanding into new areas. — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 21 Sep. 2026 And their pitching infrastructure, which originated under current New York Mets president David Stearns and was sharpened under senior vice president and general manager Matt Arnold, continues to be a model for the sport. — Johnny Flores Jr, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sharpened
  1. sharp
  2. edged
  3. jagged
  4. ground
  5. filed
Adjective
  • Aldabra’s landscape consists of sharp coral and thick, tangled vegetation.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026
  • The continuing tremors represented a sharp increase from the more than 47 aftershocks reported by Rivera during a Friday afternoon news conference.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of sharp
Verb
  • The Fighting Irish edged closer to the record of 21 consecutive double-digit victory margins set by Army (1944-46).
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2026
  • The two-time defending Big 12 regular-season champions were edged by Oklahoma State in the voting 215-212.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of edged
Adjective
  • The spelunking bass lines recalled Joy Division and New Order, the jagged guitars evoked the Fall.
    — Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Past albums have varied between melodic indie rock, jagged art rock, and even flirtations with hardcore.
    — Brendan Hay, SPIN, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of jagged
Verb
  • Jazz, for those who missed it, was confused as to why Yankees fans booed the hell out of him after grounding out in the bottom of the ninth.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The second baseman popped out and later nearly grounded into a season-ending double play in the ninth but narrowly beat out the throw to first.
    — James O'Connell, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of ground
Verb
  • Defense attorney Johnson had filed an election for the jury to assess punishment, but Jones refused to sign it, according to Sorrells.
    — Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Hundreds of students filed out of class at Lincoln Park High School on Thursday afternoon.
    — Kate Perez, Chicago Tribune, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of filed

Browse Nearby Words

sharpen
sharpened
sharpening
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Cite this Entry

“Sharpened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sharpened. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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