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
Rai Mincey, Southern Living, 10 Mar. 2026
Hefets’ detainments were part of a national policy toward antisemitism, defined over decades in the shadow of the Holocaust and sharpened recently under the helm of Felix Klein, the first federal commissioner for combating antisemitism.
—Shira Li Bartov, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
Yale sharpened that lens, placing him in regular conversations with his mentor, Epstein, or Ron Darling — a Yale alum who pitched 13 seasons in the majors — lingering in the stands postgame.
—Ira Gorawara, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Reporting 19 February in Science, the researchers also showed how exposures to rhythmic daily glucose cycles and brief pulses of electrical stimulation sharpened the glucose responsiveness of the cells, suggesting that the road to islet maturity can be engineered, not merely observed.
—IEEE Spectrum, 4 Mar. 2026
The race sharpened around contrasts in tenure, judgment and political positioning.
—Chase Rogers, Dallas Morning News, 3 Mar. 2026
The neighborhood/area Downtown Kansas City has sharpened considerably in the last decade.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Mar. 2026
Conversations on social media have sharpened these comparisons.
—Lavender Au, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 2026
An injury only sharpened Munster senior guard’s Josh Malloy’s focus.
—Michael Osipoff, Chicago Tribune, 27 Feb. 2026
Verb
Jeff Beasley, a fifth-generation oyster farmer and owner of Maggioni Oyster Company, emphasizes using knives designed specifically for shucking, not sharpened kitchen knives or improvised tools.
—Rai Mincey, Southern Living, 10 Mar. 2026
Hefets’ detainments were part of a national policy toward antisemitism, defined over decades in the shadow of the Holocaust and sharpened recently under the helm of Felix Klein, the first federal commissioner for combating antisemitism.
—Shira Li Bartov, Sun Sentinel, 9 Mar. 2026
Yale sharpened that lens, placing him in regular conversations with his mentor, Epstein, or Ron Darling — a Yale alum who pitched 13 seasons in the majors — lingering in the stands postgame.
—Ira Gorawara, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Reporting 19 February in Science, the researchers also showed how exposures to rhythmic daily glucose cycles and brief pulses of electrical stimulation sharpened the glucose responsiveness of the cells, suggesting that the road to islet maturity can be engineered, not merely observed.
—IEEE Spectrum, 4 Mar. 2026
The race sharpened around contrasts in tenure, judgment and political positioning.
—Chase Rogers, Dallas Morning News, 3 Mar. 2026
The neighborhood/area Downtown Kansas City has sharpened considerably in the last decade.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Mar. 2026
Conversations on social media have sharpened these comparisons.
—Lavender Au, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 2026
An injury only sharpened Munster senior guard’s Josh Malloy’s focus.
—Michael Osipoff, Chicago Tribune, 27 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sharpened
Adjective
-
His arrest in March 2025 triggered a sharp selloff, which prompted Turkish authorities to raise interest rates and burn through billions of dollars in foreign currency reserves to stabilize the lira.—
Beril Akman,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Jared Wright skated it down and turned back a slick pass for Laughton, whose whirling, sharp-angle bid beat Dobeš improbably to the far side.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The number on Michael’s monitor edged up but then went back down.—
Elizabeth Chuck,
NBC news,
11 Mar. 2026
-
And then, of course, there is the beach, edged by the Caribbean Sea.—
Gina Góngora,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Magic potions get involved — not to mention a surfeit of whimsy — but the actor does his best to ground the cutesiness in something real.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Kiel grounded out to third base before Sorrell slapped a single to right field, but was caught trying to steal second base.—
Tony Catalina,
Austin American Statesman,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The company filed paperwork for an IPO in 2024 but withdrew the filing last October.—
Jordan Novet,
CNBC,
11 Mar. 2026
-
At least five candidates have filed to run in the Democratic primary contest.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Its vast salt flats, jagged canyons, and sweeping sand dunes seem merely designed to test human endurance.—
Jessica Chapel,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Mar. 2026
-
From Buffalo Grove, the district goes northwest on a jagged path through Mundelein, Fox Lake and into McHenry County.—
Steve Sadin,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sharpened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sharpened. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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