Synonyms of sharpen

sharpen

verb

ˈshär-pən 

as in to grind

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

• grind
• hone
• whet
• stone
• edge
• file
• strop

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• dull
• blunt
• polish
• round
• smooth
• gloss
• burnish
• buff

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of sharpen

That extra size collects far more light, sharpens detail (especially on planets) and gives brighter views of fainter deep sky objects. — Damian Peach, Space.com, 4 Aug. 2026

The perfume opens with the tartness of fig sharpened by a sprinkle of black pepper. — Jenny Berg, Vogue, 4 Aug. 2026

For Newsom, every confrontation with the president offers another opportunity to sharpen his national profile ahead of what many Democrats expect to be a wide-open race for the party’s 2028 presidential nomination. — Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 4 Aug. 2026

Cyrus Mewawalla, head of strategic intelligence at GlobalData, said cloud-heavy hyperscalers are being rewarded for turning AI investment into sales, sharpening the split between winners and losers. — Hugh Leask, CNBC, 3 Aug. 2026