WHETS Synonyms: 85 Similar and Opposite Words

whets 1 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of whet

as in sharpens

to make sharp or sharper whetted the knife with the grindstone

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

whets

2 of 2

noun

plural of whet

as in nips

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

nonintoxicants

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 whets

Verb

But the talent on display whets the appetite for the multihyphenate’s next projects after this work’s debut in Venice as part of the wider Biennale College. — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026 Like anticipation for an upcoming summer blockbuster movie, the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll whets the appetite for college football fans ahead of the teams returning to the field. — Erick Smith, USA Today, 3 Aug. 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for whets

Verb

Clarity delivered with genuine respect sharpens leadership rather than weakening it.

— Vaishali Dev, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2026
Blind, which follows a writer whose loss of sight sharpens her creative imagination, premiered in Sundance and Berlin.

— Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of sharpens

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 nips

Noun

Presenter Zane Lowe has conducted loads of candid interviews with new and established musicians, and the company's Los Angeles studio has captured dozens of memorable performances for posterity.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 27 Sep. 2026
The two feature about 2,000 sensors that measure loads, airflow, vibrations and how the turbines interact with each other.

— Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of loads

Noun

Scattered colorful gems add pops of sparkle throughout, creating a lively finish that still lets the gradient peek through.

— Amanda Le, InStyle, 24 Sep. 2026
However, all are generously sized and sleek, with bright white bedding accented with pops of stately blue, silver and hot pink.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of pops

Noun

After axemen cleared paths through the oaks, elms, and basswoods, the surveyors stretched a standardized measure called a Gunter’s chain—a hundred links to a chain, eighty chains to a mile—and marked the distances with tally pegs.

— Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
Anniversaries are ready pegs for journalists, sometimes reached for too automatically.

— Kurt Shillinger, Christian Science Monitor, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of pegs

Noun

In terms of accessories, there were beaded fringe novelty handbags at Fendi and Etro, and belts were another key focus, both styled in multiples and integrated into ready-to-wear at Gucci, Ferragamo, Marni.

— Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026
What’s Happening Photobiomodulation, better known as red light therapy, has moved out of dermatology clinics and into body-conforming consumer wearables like masks, belts, wraps and pods.

— Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of belts

Noun

Families can learn about slugs, spiders, vultures and more during Creepy Critters Month at the Knoch Knolls Nature Center, 320 Knoch Knolls Road, a park district news release said.

— Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026
With the light load of powder that was behind them, these slugs couldn’t possibly have killed the tigress unless an extremely lucky shot had put them into a vital area at very close range.

— Leslie E. Tassell, Outdoor Life, 27 Aug. 2026