as in grinds
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 sharpens
For the diaspora characters, hearing the lyrics sharpens both their feelings of solidarity and helplessness.
—
Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2025
Look under the surface, and the picture sharpens.
—Katica Roy, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2025
That contrast only sharpens China’s advantage, where Beijing offers scale and direction, Europe risks eroding credibility.
—Felicia Jackson, Forbes.com, 3 Oct. 2025
Beyond the fun of construction, the set sharpens problem-solving and critical thinking skills while reinforcing STEM concepts in a way that feels hands-on and exciting.
—Emily Glover, Parents, 2 Oct. 2025
Neptune retrograde in Pisces sharpens spiritual intuition, and the Sun entering Scorpio on the 22nd intensifies your pursuit of authenticity.
—Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Oct. 2025
On the flip side, every new data point sharpens the predictive models guiding conservation, says Evgeny Zakharov, genomics director for the Center for Biodiversity Genomics.
—Marion Renault, The Atlantic, 29 Sep. 2025
Even if a dissenting perspective isn’t correct or better, dissent brings different views to the fore so that they can be debated, and that improves and sharpens arguments, options and outcomes.
—Elizabeth Shackelford, Twin Cities, 26 Sep. 2025
Meanwhile, the essence of Mars in Scorpio sharpens your focus and heightens your passion around career matters.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 21 Sep. 2025
Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2025
Look under the surface, and the picture sharpens.
—Katica Roy, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2025
That contrast only sharpens China’s advantage, where Beijing offers scale and direction, Europe risks eroding credibility.
—Felicia Jackson, Forbes.com, 3 Oct. 2025
Beyond the fun of construction, the set sharpens problem-solving and critical thinking skills while reinforcing STEM concepts in a way that feels hands-on and exciting.
—Emily Glover, Parents, 2 Oct. 2025
Neptune retrograde in Pisces sharpens spiritual intuition, and the Sun entering Scorpio on the 22nd intensifies your pursuit of authenticity.
—Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Oct. 2025
On the flip side, every new data point sharpens the predictive models guiding conservation, says Evgeny Zakharov, genomics director for the Center for Biodiversity Genomics.
—Marion Renault, The Atlantic, 29 Sep. 2025
Even if a dissenting perspective isn’t correct or better, dissent brings different views to the fore so that they can be debated, and that improves and sharpens arguments, options and outcomes.
—Elizabeth Shackelford, Twin Cities, 26 Sep. 2025
Meanwhile, the essence of Mars in Scorpio sharpens your focus and heightens your passion around career matters.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 21 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sharpens
Verb
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The Luxe Café automatically grinds beans to the appropriate size and volume for your drink, and has a hands-free frothing system for creating hot and cold foam.—
Mark Marino,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
4 Oct. 2025
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The White House is halting $18 billion in New York infrastructure funding due to concerns over diversity and inclusion practices and as the first day of a federal shutdown grinds government work to a halt.—
Gregory Korte,
Fortune,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
McReynolds runs for 200-plus yards and two scores, and ULM edges the Chanticleers.—
Manny Navarro,
New York Times,
9 Oct. 2025
-
But his behavior during his interrogation with Taverner edges too far into the absurdly inept.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Both films revolved around Mitchie (Lovato), who hones her vocal talents at the camp alongside the Gray brothers Shane (Joe Jonas), Nate (Nick Jonas), and Jason (Kevin Jonas).—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
17 Sep. 2025
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To survive a ruthless winnowing—to go from one of about 16,000 high-school quarterbacks each year to one of the 10 good ones in the NFL to one of the three or so each generation who earn the Hall of Fame’s gold jacket—hones certain traits within them and strips others away.—
Seth Wickersham,
The Atlantic,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sharpens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sharpens. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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