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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sharpened
Verb
The timing of the recording reflects a band whose relentless touring had sharpened both its confidence and its new material. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 8 July 2026 Those trips have widened his worldview and sharpened his sense of responsibility. — Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 July 2026 Elite indoor athletes sharpened their skills in packed gyms stretching from Orange County to the San Fernando Valley. — Tim Genske, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026 For decades, firms have sharpened competitive advantage by observing their customers through surveys, user groups, complaints, and usage data—all of which has increasingly been enabled by the rise of the internet. — Ganna Pogrebna, Harvard Business Review, 6 July 2026 Hinduism is a narrative religion; its mercurial wisdom is lightened and sweetened by stories, softened by ambiguities, sharpened by paradoxes. — Chandrahas Choudhury, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 July 2026 Loose waves and smudged eye makeup, sharpened with pink at the inner corners, kept the effect closer to one of her stage looks. — Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 3 July 2026 The passage of time has only sharpened the lessons of Entebbe for me. — Anne Neuberger, The Atlantic, 3 July 2026 That gap matters because the science on prevention has sharpened considerably in the past two years. — Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 1 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sharpened
  1. sharp
  2. edged
  3. jagged
  4. ground
  5. filed
Adjective
  • In addition to the sharp shape, the coffee brown shade gives the bag a more elevated feel.
    — Irene Richardson, InStyle, 6 July 2026
  • During male puberty, rising testosterone drives the cartilage to grow forward and meet at a sharper angle, while simultaneously lengthening the vocal folds and vocal tract housed just behind it.
    — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
Definition of sharp
Verb
  • Kayla McBride scored 14 of her 25 points in the fourth quarter, Olivia Miles added 23 points after missing two games and the Minnesota Lynx edged the New York Liberty 90-85 on Saturday.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 July 2026
  • Manzambi sat out of that game, in which Nati edged the South American squad on penalty kicks after 120 scoreless minutes.
    — PJ Green, Kansas City Star, 10 July 2026
Definition of edged
Adjective
  • The slightest details, or the smallest bits of structure, are what stick out—what can feel like an amorphous ooze of nothingness suddenly snaps into place thanks to a rhythmic rattle or jagged vocal sample.
    — Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 6 July 2026
  • Look at the jagged lines, the geometric shapes, the neon colour schemes, the tall collars, the billowing short sleeves.
    — Jack Lang, New York Times, 5 July 2026
Definition of jagged
Verb
  • After Mike Trout grounded into a force at the plate, Nolan Schanuel singled – one of his four hits – to drive in two.
    — Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 10 July 2026
  • The fire was caused by an insulation line that wasn’t properly grounded, according to the report.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 July 2026
Definition of ground
Verb
  • Environmental groups have repeatedly filed lawsuits challenging the project.
    — Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
  • Willows, the county seat, filed a lawsuit against the county and the Sheriff’s Office.
    — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of filed

Browse Nearby Words

sharpen
sharpened
sharpening
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sharpened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sharpened. Accessed 13 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on sharpened

Nglish: Translation of sharpened for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All