as in sharp
having an edge thin enough to cut or pierce something
the sharpened blade of a lawn mower
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Recent Examples of sharpened
Roxana Saberi, Time, 9 Jan. 2026
Kantor, 42, learned to knit when spending the summer with her grandparents at their bungalow colony in the Catskills, and sharpened her skills in the stands at her brother’s little league games.
—Rebecca Tauber, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
The debate over shooting at moving vehicles has been sharpened by high-profile cases, including a 2023 shooting in Ohio in which an officer fired through the windshield of a car in a grocery store parking lot while investigating a shoplifting allegation.
—Claudia Lauer, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026
But in a city with a dire housing shortage, the gap has sharpened scrutiny of policies that critics say make building in Kansas City more difficult.
—David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 8 Jan. 2026
That tension has sharpened as Big Sky enters a new tier of luxury travel.
—Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Jan. 2026
Perhaps government bean counters haven’t sharpened their pencils, or maybe there are outstanding bills still to be invoiced.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
Each visit feels worse than the last, either because things actually are getting worse, or because distance has sharpened my vision.
—Zach Fisch, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
His agility had been sharpened, it was said, by the ballet lessons imposed by his coach at Lucchese, Ernő Erbstein—like Weisz, one of the many Hungarian Jews who shaped Italian football between the early 1920s and the imposition of the Nuremberg Laws in 1938.
—Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
At the same time, a currency collapsing under international sanctions, water shortages and recurring power outages have sharpened a sense of crisis across the country.
—Roxana Saberi, Time, 9 Jan. 2026
Kantor, 42, learned to knit when spending the summer with her grandparents at their bungalow colony in the Catskills, and sharpened her skills in the stands at her brother’s little league games.
—Rebecca Tauber, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
The debate over shooting at moving vehicles has been sharpened by high-profile cases, including a 2023 shooting in Ohio in which an officer fired through the windshield of a car in a grocery store parking lot while investigating a shoplifting allegation.
—Claudia Lauer, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026
But in a city with a dire housing shortage, the gap has sharpened scrutiny of policies that critics say make building in Kansas City more difficult.
—David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 8 Jan. 2026
That tension has sharpened as Big Sky enters a new tier of luxury travel.
—Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Jan. 2026
Perhaps government bean counters haven’t sharpened their pencils, or maybe there are outstanding bills still to be invoiced.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026
Each visit feels worse than the last, either because things actually are getting worse, or because distance has sharpened my vision.
—Zach Fisch, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026
His agility had been sharpened, it was said, by the ballet lessons imposed by his coach at Lucchese, Ernő Erbstein—like Weisz, one of the many Hungarian Jews who shaped Italian football between the early 1920s and the imposition of the Nuremberg Laws in 1938.
—Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sharpened
Adjective
-
The numbers mark a sharp reversal from a spike in violence during the worst years of the COVID-19 pandemic.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The blazer of Middleton’s look included sharp shoulders with sinuous lapels and angular pockets at the waist.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Georgia Murray scored an early goal, while Aviva Olitsky made 20 saves as Bishop Feehan edged Arlington Catholic 1-0 in a Catholic Central League matchup.—
Tyler McManus,
Boston Herald,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The Breeze, led by WNBA Rookie of the Year Paige Bueckers and former Stanford star Cameron Brink, edged the Phantom 69-62.—
Pueng Vongs,
Mercury News,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Romance takes on a confident, playful tone in January, inviting you to have fun while staying grounded.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
10 Jan. 2026
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Having something familiar to read, especially during turbulence or delays, can be grounding and comforting.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The sheriff’s office has rejected Cal-OSHA’s application of the law, and last summer filed a lawsuit in Yuba Superior Court challenging the subpoenas.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
9 Jan. 2026
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According to a complaint filed by the DA’s Office in the murder for hire case, Taylor was promised $500 to kill Preston Holmes.—
Shambhavi Rimal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Rose now realizes the smeared, dark, jagged edges are an abstract human.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
4 Nov. 2025
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All the shadows and jagged angles evoke German Expressionism, distorting Ronnie’s confrontation into something both surreal and terrifyingly recognizable.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sharpened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sharpened. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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