as in sharpened
having an edge thin enough to cut or pierce something
I'll need a well-whetted axe to split the wood
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Recent Examples of whetted
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
And the game itself only whetted his appetite for more information.
—Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 8 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
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
And the game itself only whetted his appetite for more information.
—Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 8 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
-
Better brakes and new rack and pinion steering, instead of a crude recirculating ball setup, also sharpened the car’s handling.—
Howard Walker,
Robb Report,
13 May 2026
-
Those close to Kate say her perspective has sharpened since her recovery from cancer, with aides describing a new intensity and focus around her early years mission.—
Simon Perry,
PEOPLE,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
Double-bass glissandos hint at hands grubbing in the earth, while abrupt moments of concerted action—notably, an accordion wheezing out an F-sharp-minor chord—suggest flickering signals and transmissions.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
The summit will take place amid a sharp sell-off in global bond markets.—
Hugh Leask,Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Whetted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whetted. Accessed 19 May. 2026.
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