whetting

verb

present participle of whet
as in sharpening
to make sharp or sharper whetted the knife with the grindstone

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 whetting The announcement lands at the close of Marché du Film, where Japan was this year’s country of honor, and caps a busy session for Frontières Platform, which in recent years has been a key player in whetting the growing appetite for genre film at both the Cannes’ festival and market. — Jennie Punter, Variety, 22 May 2026 After six weeks whetting blades in the factory on a grinding belt, Brigitte received a silver motorbike. — Simon Akam, Vanity Fair, 2 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whetting
  1. sharpening
  2. grinding
Verb
  • The expert becomes the manager of an artificial team, reviewing, redirecting, correcting, and sharpening outputs at speed.
    — Ethan M. Stone, USA Today, 18 Aug. 2026
  • The Virgo Moon moves through your 3rd House of Communication, sharpening your attention to words, timing, errands, and local conversations.
    — Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of sharpening
Verb
  • Kruz and Josie catch the guy’s eye on the dance floor and invite him to join their impromptu grinding session, which is also when Joe catches the pair touching in a way that suggests relationship-level familiarity.
    — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 23 Aug. 2026
  • But almost all beef that is meant to be used for grinding beef, which comes from Australia or Brazil, is frozen, and a large portion of that goes to food service operations, mostly fast food companies.
    — Dan Mangan,Pippa Stevens, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of grinding

Browse Nearby Words

whetted
whetting
whey-faced
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Cite this Entry

“Whetting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whetting. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

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