whetted; whetting
1
: to sharpen by rubbing on or with something (such as a stone)
whet a knife
whetter
noun
1
2
: something that sharpens or makes keen:
a
: goad, incitement
b
: appetizer
also
: a drink of liquor
Examples of whet in a Sentence
Verb
We had some wine to whet our appetites.
The ads are trying to whet booksellers' interest.
Recent Examples on the Web
K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 24 June 2025
Braff and Faison have appeared together in the recent series of T-Mobile commercials, which only whets our proverbial appetite for their reunion on Scrubs.
—Marc Berman, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
Finishing sixth in the table two years ago to qualify for the Europa League under former head coach Roberto De Zerbi whetted the appetite for more European experiences for the club.
—Andy Naylor, New York Times, 20 May 2025
In England, Richards apparently shared it with Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page, among others, whetting their appetites for the older American instruments.
—Nick Paumgarten, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for whet
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.
Verb
Amazon's annual Prime Day event is entering orbit and scheduled to land on July 8, but the mega-retailer is whetting our appetite early with some enticing discounts on tech from our favorite manufacturers, like HP.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 24 June 2025
Braff and Faison have appeared together in the recent series of T-Mobile commercials, which only whets our proverbial appetite for their reunion on Scrubs.
—Marc Berman, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
Finishing sixth in the table two years ago to qualify for the Europa League under former head coach Roberto De Zerbi whetted the appetite for more European experiences for the club.
—Andy Naylor, New York Times, 20 May 2025
In England, Richards apparently shared it with Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page, among others, whetting their appetites for the older American instruments.
—Nick Paumgarten, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for whet
Cite this Entry
“Whet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whet. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share