WHET Synonyms: 90 Similar and Opposite Words

whet 1 of 2

verb

ˈ(h)wet

Definition of whet

as in to sharpen

to make sharp or sharper whetted the knife with the grindstone

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

whet

2 of 2

noun

as in load

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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 whet

Verb

Your yearnings whet the underside of her tongue, as familiar as the thrum of her own pulse. — Literary Hub, 25 June 2026 The vermouth’s herbal notes blend with the bitter tonic for a refreshing way to whet the palate before a meal. — Jillian Dara, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026 Some of the Summertime launch‘s most delicious harvests have already sold out, so don’t think too long or too hard about it before snagging everything that catches your eye… and whets your appetite. — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 4 June 2026 The wait only whetted Arsenal’s appetite for the big moment. — Art De Roché, New York Times, 24 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for whet

Recent Examples of Synonyms for whet

Verb

Follow The Decision, Not Just The Model One way to sharpen that oversight is to stop treating the model as the whole unit of analysis.

— Gerald J. Leonard, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Her boredom was sharpened by the discovery that most of her initial assumptions were wrong.

— Madhuri Vijay, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of sharpen

Noun

Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy aren't part of this longer-term picture; SpaceX wants to phase them out and have Starship shoulder the load.

— Mike Wall, Space.com, 19 Aug. 2026
Most tap water in the UAE comes from desalination, which strips out salt but leaves minerals behind, producing a mineral load that builds up on hair, skin and surfaces.

— Ritu Upadhyay, Footwear News, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of load

Noun

Plans call for four three-story apartment buildings, a community center, swimming pool, tot lot, barbecue area, dog park and 180 surface parking spaces.

— Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 13 Aug. 2026
Residents will also have access to community amenities including a resident clubhouse with an outdoor pool, a dog park, a publicly accessible tot lot and walking paths.

— Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of tot

Noun

Expansions, nips, and tucks happened over the years, but the British Colonial design was needing a facelift when Hurricane Irma decimated the island in September 2017.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Aug. 2026
Not even regular nips from a hidden bottle of whiskey in the garage can ease Greg’s self-loathing.

— David Fear, Rolling Stone, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of nip

Noun

Ethan Ampadu, the team’s 25-year-old captain, had a year remaining on his contract and a hugely impressive season under his belt in the Premier League.

— Adam Crafton, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
When the Mustangs’ coaches were measuring players’ speed last summer, Sydanmaa, a sophomore with just two years of football under his belt, clocked the second-fastest 40-yard dash in the program.

— Steve Reaven, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of belt

Noun

To solve, loop one end of the string around the peg on the parabola with an x-coordinate of –3 (y = 9) and attach the other end of the string to a peg with an x-coordinate of 4 (y = 16).

— Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 18 Aug. 2026
The singer said that the commercial underperformance of Nobody’s Daughter knocked her down a peg.

— Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of peg

Noun

Vermouth is a lower-proof aperitif flavored with herbs, roots, spices, citrus and other botanicals, typically landing somewhere between 15% and 22% ABV—considerably gentler than the roughly 40% ABV of many familiar spirits.

— Devin Parr, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
The aperitif hails from Italy and was developed by Casa Luigi Sarti & Figli, a historic distillery established in Bologna in 1885.

— Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of aperitif

Noun

Gordon Telepun, an eclipse chaser who worked as a NASA ambassador to share knowledge about eclipses in 2017 and 2024, will be on the Spanish island of Mallorca for the eclipse.

— Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
Ring chaser, or 'continious chaser' as O'Neal put it, the labels and even the predictions don't matter at this point.

— Mark Harris OutKick, FOXNews.com, 28 July 2026

Definition of chaser

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“Whet.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whet. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of whet

verb

noun

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