Examples of sharpen in a Sentence
Can you sharpen the image?
The lecture sharpened my understanding of the topic.
The outlines of the mountains sharpened as we got closer.
Recent Examples on the Web
There will be free instruction on tool sharpening, composting and food dehydration, among other topics.
—
Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2024
Quincy served in both roles for many of us who wanted to sharpen our perspectives on the places music and faith intersect.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 22 Apr. 2024
The notion nearly works; the ratios of crackle and squish need definition, and the seafood flavors could be sharpened.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2024
Countries around the world are competing intensely to attract private capital for clean technology, a competition that has been sharpened by the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act and the EU’s Green Deal.
—David Lammy, Foreign Affairs, 17 Apr. 2024
Sport mode stiffens the suspension, lowers the ride height just over .5 inches, and delivers 100 percent of the e-motors’ output, noticeably sharpening the response to the accelerator.
—Angus MacKenzie, Robb Report, 10 Apr. 2024
President Joe Biden sharpened his criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as demand grows for the U.S. to take concrete action against Israel’s brutal assault in Gaza.
—Jeremy Childs, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2024
Usually the essayist commissioned to take to the sea is in their first or second flush of youth and is ready to sharpen their wit against the hull of the offending vessel.
—Gary Shteyngart, The Atlantic, 4 Apr. 2024
More advanced 4×4 enthusiasts can also sharpen winch skills and their acumen with safety procedures, trail navigation, and rock crawling.
—Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 3 Apr. 2024
Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2024
Quincy served in both roles for many of us who wanted to sharpen our perspectives on the places music and faith intersect.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 22 Apr. 2024
The notion nearly works; the ratios of crackle and squish need definition, and the seafood flavors could be sharpened.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2024
Countries around the world are competing intensely to attract private capital for clean technology, a competition that has been sharpened by the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act and the EU’s Green Deal.
—David Lammy, Foreign Affairs, 17 Apr. 2024
Sport mode stiffens the suspension, lowers the ride height just over .5 inches, and delivers 100 percent of the e-motors’ output, noticeably sharpening the response to the accelerator.
—Angus MacKenzie, Robb Report, 10 Apr. 2024
President Joe Biden sharpened his criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as demand grows for the U.S. to take concrete action against Israel’s brutal assault in Gaza.
—Jeremy Childs, Rolling Stone, 9 Apr. 2024
Usually the essayist commissioned to take to the sea is in their first or second flush of youth and is ready to sharpen their wit against the hull of the offending vessel.
—Gary Shteyngart, The Atlantic, 4 Apr. 2024
More advanced 4×4 enthusiasts can also sharpen winch skills and their acumen with safety procedures, trail navigation, and rock crawling.
—Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 3 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sharpen.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Sharpen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sharpen. Accessed 3 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sharpen
verb
sharp·en
ˈshär-pən 
sharpened; sharpening
ˈshärp-(ə-)niŋ
1
: to make or become sharp or sharper
sharpen a pencil
a better lens sharpened the image
pain that suddenly sharpened
2
: improve
sharpen one's skills
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