sharpen up

verb

sharpened up; sharpening up; sharpens up

1

: to become better, smarter, more skillful, etc.

You'd better sharpen up if you want to keep your job.

2

: to improve (something)

I took a course to sharpen up my computer skills.

Examples of sharpen up in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Gulls winger Matthew Phillips, who netted his 16th goal of the season and has 51 points overall, said the weekend set against Ontario and Coachella Valley will be all about sharpening up for the playoffs. —Ivan Carter, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026

The offseason will be a chance to sharpen up these two or experiment with players from other position groups. —Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 23 Jan. 2026

How to Watch Buccaneers vs Bills The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6–3) head into this matchup needing to sharpen up their offense. —Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Nov. 2025

As Buffy the Vampire Slayer prepares to sharpen up the old stake for a new generation, some things remain the same. —Glenn Garner, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2025

Now the company is looking to sharpen up those tools with a new evolution and printing currently crowdfunding. —Rob Wieland, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025

Rhymes for sharpen up

• buttercup
• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup