smartening

verb

present participle of smarten
as in brightening

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for smartening
  1. brightening
  2. freshening
  3. beautifying
  4. adorning
  5. trapping
  6. decorating
Verb
  • Even with their fortunes brightening in Michigan, Republicans are clear-eyed about the headwinds this year.
    — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Made with a peptide complex and vitamin E, the patches reduce lines and wrinkles while plumping and brightening your skin.
    — Kyra Surgent, InStyle, 25 July 2026
Definition of brightening
Verb
  • These aromatherapy inhalers are perfect for freshening your immediate air.
    — Jasmine Gomez, Travel + Leisure, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Lemon can be used for everything from freshening bed linens to removing stains from clothes–including cleaning your microwave.
    — Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 27 June 2026
Definition of freshening
Verb
  • Local Color, which has grown dramatically in its 11-year history, connects artists with creative opportunities (like many of the murals beautifying San Jose), as well as running workshops, providing studio space and exhibition galleries.
    — Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Harris said because of the downtown blight, the city wants to get into the habit of maintaining and beautifying its important corridor.
    — Carole Carlson, Chicago Tribune, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of beautifying
Verb
  • In the photo, the father-son duo was all smiles, adorning matching jiu-jitsu outfits.
    — Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Black shirt, black shorts, thin sheen of sweat adorning his expressive forehead.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 July 2026
Definition of adorning
Verb
  • London — Eighteen people were injured, including two seriously, after a passenger train derailed in southern England on Thursday, trapping passengers inside carriages that had toppled onto their sides.
    — Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The tree crashed through a back bedroom of the home, trapping the child, Low said.
    — Michelle Simmons, ABC News, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of trapping
Verb
  • Long story short, linen is adaptable, and its appeal extends well beyond a single decorating style.
    — Nina Derwin, Architectural Digest, 14 Aug. 2026
  • This job will most likely fall on you, but your child can certainly practice ​good manners by drawing a picture, writing their name, or even decorating the envelope.
    — Amanda Rock, Parents, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of decorating
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.

Browse Nearby Words

smartened (up)
smartening
smartening (up)
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Cite this Entry

“Smartening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smartening. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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