as in sharpened
having an edge thin enough to cut or pierce something
even the most trenchant sword could not sever the bonds of loyalty between them
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Recent Examples of trenchant
It is accompanied by a quietly trenchant voice over, mostly written by scribes Rafael Cobos and Fran Araújo, explaining intricacies of characters and historical through-lines.
—
John Hopewell, Variety, 14 Oct. 2025
Janion’s analyses are trenchant but also hopeful.
—Literary Hub, 10 Oct. 2025
Amid the churn in Europe and globally, with trenchant nationalism on the rise, and a war raging in Ukraine just 1,200 miles from the palace, many might say that having a hereditary royal as their head of state offers some reassuring continuity, acting as a counterweight to political upheaval.
—Vivienne Walt, Time, 3 Oct. 2025
The star forward opened with a prepared statement criticizing the WNBA not only for the state of its on-court officiating — a trenchant topic during this postseason — but for its lack of transparency and accountability, starting with Commissioner Cathy Engelbert.
—John Shipley, Twin Cities, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trenchant
John Hopewell, Variety, 14 Oct. 2025
Janion’s analyses are trenchant but also hopeful.
—Literary Hub, 10 Oct. 2025
Amid the churn in Europe and globally, with trenchant nationalism on the rise, and a war raging in Ukraine just 1,200 miles from the palace, many might say that having a hereditary royal as their head of state offers some reassuring continuity, acting as a counterweight to political upheaval.
—Vivienne Walt, Time, 3 Oct. 2025
The star forward opened with a prepared statement criticizing the WNBA not only for the state of its on-court officiating — a trenchant topic during this postseason — but for its lack of transparency and accountability, starting with Commissioner Cathy Engelbert.
—John Shipley, Twin Cities, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trenchant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trenchant
sharp
Adjective
-
The crab is mixed with extra-sharp Cheddar for boldness and cream cheese and Havarti for creaminess.—
Lisa Cericola,
Southern Living,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Using scissors, or knives that aren’t sharp may crush the vascular tissue and prevent the flowers from taking up water, leading to faster decline.—
Heather Zidack,
Hartford Courant,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Trenchant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trenchant. Accessed 18 Feb. 2026.
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