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
Waning support for Israel, and increasingly bipartisan disapproval of the war in Iran, has loomed large over the primary elections, with candidates increasingly spurning the support of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and sharpening their criticism of the country.
—
Grace Gilson, Sun Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026
Read our knife sharpening guide for guidance.
—Emily Johnson, Bon Appetit Magazine, 18 Mar. 2026
In a perfect world, this is the time of year the Knicks would be sharpening their edge.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 17 Mar. 2026
Certainly, investors have been sharpening their pitches and cap tables in anticipation of this moment.
—Mike Vorkunov, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Most importantly sharpening the tip of the spear — get the offensive line right.
—Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2026
That is when boards start re-rating risks, lenders start sharpening pencils and capex slips down the priority list.
—Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 9 Mar. 2026
Most major 2026 Democratic gubernatorial candidates are sharpening their anti-Trump rhetoric.
—David Mark, The Washington Examiner, 27 Feb. 2026
A great deal of time was devoted to getting physically and mentally stronger and sharpening his focus.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026
Grace Gilson, Sun Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2026
Read our knife sharpening guide for guidance.
—Emily Johnson, Bon Appetit Magazine, 18 Mar. 2026
In a perfect world, this is the time of year the Knicks would be sharpening their edge.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 17 Mar. 2026
Certainly, investors have been sharpening their pitches and cap tables in anticipation of this moment.
—Mike Vorkunov, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Most importantly sharpening the tip of the spear — get the offensive line right.
—Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2026
That is when boards start re-rating risks, lenders start sharpening pencils and capex slips down the priority list.
—Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 9 Mar. 2026
Most major 2026 Democratic gubernatorial candidates are sharpening their anti-Trump rhetoric.
—David Mark, The Washington Examiner, 27 Feb. 2026
A great deal of time was devoted to getting physically and mentally stronger and sharpening his focus.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sharpening
Verb
-
Molino Los Hermanos hopes to start grinding in Uptown this summer.—
Louisa Kung Liu Chu,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
-
In recent years, several demonstrations have expanded onto adjacent freeways, grinding traffic to a halt.—
Cierra Morgan,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The hands-on, immersive experience assisted in honing space weather forecasting activities, not only for Artemis 2 but also the future.—
Leonard David,
Space.com,
30 Mar. 2026
-
But first, what’s the deal with honing?—
Jesse Raub,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sharpening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sharpening. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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