sharpen
verb (used with or without object)
had sharpened
-
past perfectof sharpen.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She said the most recent release of hostages had sharpened fears.
From BBC ● Feb. 12, 2025
He added that the supply problems had sharpened Bentley's focus and investment on developing a simple harness for EVs that will be run by a central computer.
From Reuters ● May 30, 2022
For many young patients, she said, the pandemic had sharpened conflicts within their families that had saddled them with mental health problems.
From New York Times ● Dec. 7, 2021
Starting out a decade before “Blue” as a hobbyist folk singer in a Calgary coffee shop called the Depression, Mitchell had sharpened her mind as a method of survival.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 21, 2021
And since politics makes strange bedfellows, Alfred Lanning sat at the other side of the desk with his ferocious white eyebrows bent far forward over eyes in which chronic impatience had sharpened to acuity.
From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov
