sharply

adverb

Definition of sharplynext
as in neatly
in a strikingly neat and trim manner sharply dressed groomsmen at a formal wedding

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 sharply Heather Diehl | Getty Images The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on Tuesday released a sharply critical report on the federal government's handling of investigations into Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell. — Dan Mangan, CNBC, 10 Nov. 2026 Oil prices have fallen sharply in recent days on hopes that the Iran conflict is fading, and gas costs are falling this month. — Christopher Rugaber, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2026 Novaya Gazeta had faced growing government pressure as the Kremlin cracked down on critics, with repression sharply intensifying after the start of the conflict in Ukraine. — ABC News, 9 Nov. 2026 The Supreme Court agreed that the law sharply limits judges’ powers to intervene when the federal government decides speedy border barrier construction is necessary. — Rebecca Santana, Chicago Tribune, 9 Nov. 2026 In the film, won Camerimage’s Golden Frog honor in 2007, the lens shifts sharply in and out of focus, blurring most of the field of vision while some details pop with intense clarity. — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 8 Nov. 2026 Apprehensions in the Big Bend Border Patrol Sector have fallen sharply since peaking at 37,266 in fiscal year 2021, according to CBP data. — Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2026 Higher-income Americans who invested in AI stocks have seen their wealth grow sharply. — Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 6 Nov. 2026 But amid massive pro-democracy protests in 2019 and 2020, Chinese authorities enacted a national security law sharply curtailing civil liberties and personal freedoms there. — Joshua Yang, Washington Post, 5 Nov. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sharply
  1. neatly
  2. smartly
  3. carefully
Adverb
  • Its hidden zipper and interior corner ties help keep everything neatly in place, while the warm camel hue pairs beautifully with the deeper plum of the blanket.
    — Jacorey Moon, Architectural Digest, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Brands tend to lead with features and benefits because those fit neatly on a slide.
    — JD Barker, Forbes.com, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of neatly
Adverb
  • Two of its survivors are Alvaro Ahumada and Ignacio Puelma, smartly dressed and in their early 70s, who meet us under the trees near the entrance for a tour.
    — Lale Arikoglu, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Their quirky, colorful and smartly kitsch sensibility would revitalize Byblos, especially its menswear, placing the label at the forefront of fashion’s counterculture.
    — Tonya Blazio-Licorish, Footwear News, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of smartly
Adverb
  • That's a particularly important part of the equation because two-stroke engines rely heavily on carefully tuned exhaust systems to manage gas flow and extract performance.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 6 Nov. 2026
  • No security tool catches every threat, so continue checking unexpected messages carefully.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of carefully

Browse Nearby Words

sharping
sharply
sharpness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sharply.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sharply. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Nov. 13

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
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
speech-bubble-untangle
Simplify The Convoluted Expression Quiz A quiz that’s as “uncomplicated as a round de...
See All