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
Credit rating agencies are sharpening their focus on climate vulnerability, raising questions about whether sectors or sovereigns with large protection gaps could face higher borrowing costs.
—
Felicia Jackson, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
On September 2nd, Mercury re-enters its home turf of Virgo, sharpening our mental focus and communication skills.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 31 Aug. 2025
After all, gum is the ultimate multitasker – freshening breath, calming nerves and even sharpening focus.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2025
Raekwon’s still sharpening his lyrical sword, as the rap legend delivered his The Emperor’s New Clothes album in July.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 12 Aug. 2025
This model provides an opportunity for collaboration and for assimilating and sharpening all the skills covered in the course.
—Filomena Nunes, The Conversation, 12 Aug. 2025
Correcting this surface brought simulations in line with experimental data, sharpening our understanding of early-universe chemistry.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Aug. 2025
Felicia Jackson, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
On September 2nd, Mercury re-enters its home turf of Virgo, sharpening our mental focus and communication skills.
—Dossé-Via Trenou, Refinery29, 31 Aug. 2025
After all, gum is the ultimate multitasker – freshening breath, calming nerves and even sharpening focus.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2025
Raekwon’s still sharpening his lyrical sword, as the rap legend delivered his The Emperor’s New Clothes album in July.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 12 Aug. 2025
This model provides an opportunity for collaboration and for assimilating and sharpening all the skills covered in the course.
—Filomena Nunes, The Conversation, 12 Aug. 2025
Correcting this surface brought simulations in line with experimental data, sharpening our understanding of early-universe chemistry.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sharpening
Verb
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This budget-friendly Presto knife sharpener features a two-stage sharpening system for grinding knife blades and honing them to a polished and sharp finish.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
9 Sep. 2025
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Miley Cyrus shocked viewers by stripping down to a nude bikini top and briefs and grinding, twerking and thrusting on fellow performer Robin Thicke at the 2013 show in one of the raciest performances in MTV history.—
Kate Hogan,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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In between is a huge chessboard for honing skills of strategy and guile while catching a tan.—
Mark David,
Robb Report,
4 Sep. 2025
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This kind of agility sets apart those with merely a job from those who are highly valued for their calm composure, which comes from continually honing their skills and level of education.—
Jeanne M. Stafford,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sharpening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sharpening. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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