as in grinding
to make sharp or sharper
you need to sharpen your penknife's blade frequently in order to be able to whittle properly
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Recent Examples of sharpening
What emerges is a platform less interested in scale than in sharpening its own profile.
—
Emiliano De Pablos, Variety, 23 Apr. 2026
Consumer goods companies are sharpening their focus and strategically reassessing their portfolios as former growth drivers cool, and consumers are increasingly selective amid rising living costs.
—Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2026
Chris Ong, Seatrium’s CEO, sees the Iran conflict sharpening what specialists call the energy trilemma, or the trade-off between energy security, affordable supply, and environmental sustainability.
—Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
Later, Mercury in Aries connects with Pluto in Aquarius, sharpening your thinking and making conversations more direct.
—Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 18 Apr. 2026
The reframe worked like a set of corrective lenses, sharpening sentimental mush into something with meaning and claws.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 16 Apr. 2026
The intuitive Moon and energetic Mercury are merging in your sign, sharpening your words and putting courage behind your message.
—Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
Mantello has chosen to have different actors play the young Biff (Joaquin Consuelos) and the young Happy (Jake Termine), sharpening the contrast between their potential and their fates.
—Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 10 Apr. 2026
Whether your dress comes in a bold, statement shade like Hari Nef’s or leans toward a more muted palette, a neutral-toned turtleneck worn underneath creates subtle contrast while sharpening the overall look.
—Gena Kaufman, InStyle, 8 Apr. 2026
Emiliano De Pablos, Variety, 23 Apr. 2026
Consumer goods companies are sharpening their focus and strategically reassessing their portfolios as former growth drivers cool, and consumers are increasingly selective amid rising living costs.
—Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2026
Chris Ong, Seatrium’s CEO, sees the Iran conflict sharpening what specialists call the energy trilemma, or the trade-off between energy security, affordable supply, and environmental sustainability.
—Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
Later, Mercury in Aries connects with Pluto in Aquarius, sharpening your thinking and making conversations more direct.
—Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 18 Apr. 2026
The reframe worked like a set of corrective lenses, sharpening sentimental mush into something with meaning and claws.
—Emily Nussbaum, New Yorker, 16 Apr. 2026
The intuitive Moon and energetic Mercury are merging in your sign, sharpening your words and putting courage behind your message.
—Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
Mantello has chosen to have different actors play the young Biff (Joaquin Consuelos) and the young Happy (Jake Termine), sharpening the contrast between their potential and their fates.
—Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 10 Apr. 2026
Whether your dress comes in a bold, statement shade like Hari Nef’s or leans toward a more muted palette, a neutral-toned turtleneck worn underneath creates subtle contrast while sharpening the overall look.
—Gena Kaufman, InStyle, 8 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sharpening
Verb
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Bodies in motion are intercut with a bespoke gun factory’s grinding gears; human combats are juxtaposed with VR imagery or first-person shooter games.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
21 Apr. 2026
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Best Krups coffee grinders This is perfect for precision grinding for cold brew, espresso and pour-over coffee.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The team is always honing their skills, and their training continues at least once a month.—
Ashley Portillo,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
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And while creators of such content have access to this ever-evolving technology, tech giants are also honing their internal AI systems to fight the deluge.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sharpening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sharpening. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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