as in sharpened
having an edge thin enough to cut or pierce something
I'll need a well-whetted axe to split the wood
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 whetted
Luke Smith, New York Times, 24 May 2026
That whetted her competitive desire.
—Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2026
British Museum As excitement builds for the opening of the new Geffen Galleries at LACMA on Sunday (for priority members; May 4 for the general public), one’s appetite may be whetted to visit other museums.
—Arts Editor, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
The sheer audacity of the recent Louvre heist has whetted us readers’ appetites for heist stories—space heists, all the better!
—Literary Hub, 2 Jan. 2026
Exposure to the outside world, through her father's work, must have whetted MacLeod's appetite for travel, Crichton says.
—Lauren Frayer, NPR, 14 Sep. 2025
Verb
O’Ward’s full-season teammates, Christian Lundgaard and Nolan Siegel, have been joined by Ryan Hunter-Reay, a 45-year-old veteran going into his 18th Indy 500, who won the race back in 2014 and led a chunk of last year’s race that only whetted his appetite for another shot.
—Luke Smith, New York Times, 24 May 2026
That whetted her competitive desire.
—Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2026
British Museum As excitement builds for the opening of the new Geffen Galleries at LACMA on Sunday (for priority members; May 4 for the general public), one’s appetite may be whetted to visit other museums.
—Arts Editor, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
The sheer audacity of the recent Louvre heist has whetted us readers’ appetites for heist stories—space heists, all the better!
—Literary Hub, 2 Jan. 2026
Exposure to the outside world, through her father's work, must have whetted MacLeod's appetite for travel, Crichton says.
—Lauren Frayer, NPR, 14 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whetted
Verb
-
Energy security in focus The war’s disruption to the Strait of Hormuz has sharpened focus on energy security around the world and comes on the heels of the energy crisis sparked by Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.—
Hanna Ziady,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
-
Nilsson sharpened this approach throughout the ’80s and early ’90s.—
Jeremy Lybarger,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
Adjective
-
Things take a sharp pivot when Liz and Dolores arrive at the Rhode Island State House.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
8 June 2026
-
Ben-Gvir has come under sharp condemnation from other Israeli leaders for making controversial videos, such as his treatment of flotilla activists who were detained after attempting to break the maritime blockade of Gaza.—
Melanie Lidman,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whetted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whetted. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
