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
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
But there has to be a point where that has to be sharpened.
—Doug Padilla, Oc Register, 1 Sep. 2025
The thought leadership program becomes the place where thinking is surfaced, socialized, and sharpened.
—Rhea Wessel, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Focus is sharpened on players who can augment Emery’s squad in the here and now.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
Chefs who had to provide their own kitchen knives sharpened each one for meal prep, and the women officers made sure their evening dresses were ironed and hanging.
—Doug Most
august 20, Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2025
So pricier options that can be sharpened more effectively are a worthwhile long-term investment.
—Jesse Raub, Bon Appetit Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
Every detail sharpened, sacred.
—Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025
Verb
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
But there has to be a point where that has to be sharpened.
—Doug Padilla, Oc Register, 1 Sep. 2025
The thought leadership program becomes the place where thinking is surfaced, socialized, and sharpened.
—Rhea Wessel, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Focus is sharpened on players who can augment Emery’s squad in the here and now.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
Chefs who had to provide their own kitchen knives sharpened each one for meal prep, and the women officers made sure their evening dresses were ironed and hanging.
—Doug Most
august 20, Literary Hub, 20 Aug. 2025
So pricier options that can be sharpened more effectively are a worthwhile long-term investment.
—Jesse Raub, Bon Appetit Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
Every detail sharpened, sacred.
—Big Think, 20 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sharpened
Adjective
-
There was a sharp spike in job cuts during August, new data shows, as employers shed staff due to a worsening economic picture.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Analysts Craig Moffett’s rating change follows a sharp rally for the tech giant.—
Pia Singh,
CNBC,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Osaka, who has rediscovered her big-point superpower the past few weeks, edged the opener 6-4, breaking serve while holding a 5-4 lead.—
Matthew Futterman,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Buffalo ended Baltimore's season back in January with a 27-25 victory in the AFC divisional round of the playoffs, and if that weren't bad enough, Bills quarterback Josh Allen edged Ravens QB Lamar Jackson for the MVP award two weeks later.—
Michael Gallagher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Large hail, damaging wind, and continuous cloud to ground lightning are occurring with this storm.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
5 Sep. 2025
-
The two met when Bethany was a teenager on a school trip who got stranded in Warsaw for a month when ash from an Icelandic eruption grounded planes across Europe.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Cousins were playing ding, dong, ditch The victim's cousin told investigators that the two were attending a family birthday party about a block away from the scene of the shooting, according to a criminal complaint filed in Harris County court.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
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George Bochetto, the attorney who filed the lawsuit, also wrote a letter, arguing that the express train service cuts for the Eagles game should also be halted.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Most of the surface is made up of a fine dust with jagged edges because it hasn’t been weathered by wind or water.—
Jeremy Bogaisky,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
-
Against all of this allegedly heady stuff, the score—by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross—intentionally jars us from encroaching drowsiness with chortling woodwinds and shardlike piano chords that are the aural equivalent of jagged Plexiglass off-cuts.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
29 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sharpened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sharpened. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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