look sharp

Idioms  

1. Get moving, be alert, as in The coach told the team they would have to look sharp if they wanted to win. This colloquial expression, dating from the early 1700s, originally meant “to keep a strict watch” but acquired its present sense in the early 1800s.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

look sharp

In fact, it specializes in “mid,” or “gourmet cheeseburger,” TV, shows that look sharp, have a great cast, a killer setup…yet still leave you wanting just a bit more.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 30, 2025

Despite, say, the weight of garments covered entirely in crystals, Whitten ensured performers would look sharp on stage.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 13, 2025

"By doing this, as the analysis in the paper predicts, it generates 3D shapes that look sharp and realistic," he says.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 4, 2024

Former featherweight champion Kid Galahad: "AJ knocks him out inside five round. He'll look sharp and devastating. I expect more focused work to the body under the stewardship of Derrick James."

From BBC ● Apr. 1, 2023

The creases in his uniform look sharp enough to injure somebody.

From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston