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
Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2025
Since primary, Grijalva sharpened progressive tone Since the July 15 primary, Grijalva has only sharpened her progressive tone.
—Laura Gersony, AZCentral.com, 23 Sep. 2025
Sheer tights and a small curved bag kept the lines clean, while narrow sunglasses sharpened the finish.
—Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 22 Sep. 2025
As Israel mobilizes an additional 60,000 reservists for its Gaza City offensive, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces a showdown over mandatory military service for the Ultra-Orthodox community, a debate sharpened by the strain on reservists pulled from their families for months at a time.
—Amelie Botbol, FOXNews.com, 14 Sep. 2025
My senses sharpened, my breath slowed, and the chatter in my head went quiet.
—Daniel Scheffler, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025
If anything, the heightened competition sharpened his focus.
—Zach Sweet, Kansas City Star, 9 Sep. 2025
Her next pivot sharpened her commercial instincts.
—Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
From building looks piece by piece in the early days, to introducing womenswear, couture, and a cinematic sense of narrative, Keith has sharpened his process to create full worlds rather than individual outfits.
—Karissa Mitchell, Essence, 3 Sep. 2025
Verb
At the same time, Tesla’s core EV business has faced headwinds in 2025, including large market-cap declines and profitability pressure that have sharpened scrutiny of whether Optimus can deliver commercial returns at scale.
—Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2025
Since primary, Grijalva sharpened progressive tone Since the July 15 primary, Grijalva has only sharpened her progressive tone.
—Laura Gersony, AZCentral.com, 23 Sep. 2025
Sheer tights and a small curved bag kept the lines clean, while narrow sunglasses sharpened the finish.
—Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 22 Sep. 2025
As Israel mobilizes an additional 60,000 reservists for its Gaza City offensive, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces a showdown over mandatory military service for the Ultra-Orthodox community, a debate sharpened by the strain on reservists pulled from their families for months at a time.
—Amelie Botbol, FOXNews.com, 14 Sep. 2025
My senses sharpened, my breath slowed, and the chatter in my head went quiet.
—Daniel Scheffler, Forbes.com, 12 Sep. 2025
If anything, the heightened competition sharpened his focus.
—Zach Sweet, Kansas City Star, 9 Sep. 2025
Her next pivot sharpened her commercial instincts.
—Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2025
From building looks piece by piece in the early days, to introducing womenswear, couture, and a cinematic sense of narrative, Keith has sharpened his process to create full worlds rather than individual outfits.
—Karissa Mitchell, Essence, 3 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sharpened
Adjective
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Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who will host COP30, delivered a sharp rebuke.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Sep. 2025
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But the fitter and sharper Isak becomes, the selection headaches will follow.—
Andy Jones,
New York Times,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Heriberto Hernandez hit a tying home run in the ninth inning, and Xavier Edwards knocked in the decisive run in the 11th as the Miami Marlins edged the host Philadelphia Phillies 6-5 on Tuesday.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
24 Sep. 2025
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Cole Madden shot a one-under par 34, and Owen Crowley finished one-over par 36 as Hanover (9-2) edged North Quincy 223-226 in the Patriot League.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with these storms.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Tourism ground to a halt just ahead of October, the biggest season for visitors.—
Laura Hackett,
NPR,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Trump does have a long history of suing media companies, including a handful of successful lawsuits filed on the 2024 campaign trail and since entering office in January.—
Christian Datoc,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Sep. 2025
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Elmwood Place police responded to a report of a juvenile not breathing at a home in the 5600 block of Helen Street, according to an affidavit filed in support of the charges.—
Jennifer Edwards Baker,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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With over 70,000 acres available to explore, visitors can take on the park’s 136 miles of trail, visit high alpine lakes, and climb jagged peaks.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Sep. 2025
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Nowadays, wig enthusiasts are shaping their lace to mimic more of a natural hairline that may include a widow’s peak, and or more jagged instead of rigid hair line, so definitely keep that customization option in mind.—
Noel Cymone Walker,
StyleCaster,
23 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sharpened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sharpened. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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