Synonyms of sharpened

sharpened 1 of 2

adjective

as in sharp

having an edge thin enough to cut or pierce something

the sharpened blade of a lawn mower

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sharp
• cutting
• honed
• edged
• jagged
• ground
• trenchant
• whetted
• keen
• stropped
• edgy
• piercing
• pointed
• stabbing
• knifelike
• scratching
• clawlike
• lacerating
• spiky
• pointy
• daggerlike
• jabbing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• blunt
• dull
• smooth
• rounded
• dulled
• blunted
• soft
• obtuse
• level
• flat
• even
• slick

sharpened

2 of 2

verb

past tense of sharpen

as in edged

to make sharp or sharper

you need to sharpen your penknife's blade frequently in order to be able to whittle properly

Synonyms & Similar Words

• edged
• ground
• filed
• whetted
• honed
• stoned
• stropped

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• blunted
• dulled
• rounded
• polished
• smoothed
• glossed
• burnished
• buffed

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of sharpened

Verb

The fruit’s naturally bitter edge is sharpened by pimento, giving the opening a subtle kick, while patchouli, vetiver, and moss bring a deeper, earthier dimension. — Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 3 Sep. 2026

The experience sharpened her understanding of the gap between the freedoms advertised to women and those actually available to them. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 3 Sep. 2026

Each tool sharpened one department, and the work still crawled between them, because nobody was ever asked to own the crawling. — Krupesh Bhat, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026

This is partly what propels his mole demi-glace, a convergence of inspirations realized in a duck and smoked chicken stock sharpened by the foundational components of mole. — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026

Their partnership also sharpened her already acute sense of humor. — Shima Oliaee, Time, 26 Aug. 2026

Meanwhile, the Israeli prime minister also sharpened his already-combative rhetoric against Erdogan. — Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026

The two would meet regularly at the Beverly Hills Hotel, Davis’ West Coast outpost, as Jackson sharpened his A&R skills, and long after. — Shirley Halperin, Rolling Stone, 22 Aug. 2026

The interests of the United States and its partners still run together, and that logic has sharpened as China’s power and the alignment of its fellow revisionists have grown. — Kurt M. Campbell, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026