sharpener
Americannoun
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a tool, device, or machine used to produce or restore a fine edge or point on blades, pencils, etc.
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a person whose work is to restore a fine edge or point on things by means of such a tool or machine.
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a person, activity, or thing that serves to hone or challenge a person's thinking, skill, etc.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
See Examples For:
What she needs is a good knife sharpener.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
Many favor the $147 pencil sharpener as the worst offender.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
"In atom-probe tomography, we start by sharpening a piece of the lunar sample into a very sharp tip, using a focused ion beam microscope, almost like a very fancy pencil sharpener," Greer said.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 23, 2023
I immediately got feedback saying, that’s actually quite a good knife sharpener.
From New York Times ● May 5, 2023
Or he’ll be like, “Can I use your pencil sharpener?” and I’ll get my sharpener out of my pencil case for him.
From "Wonder" by R. J. Palacio
In other rooms, colleagues arranged pencil sharpeners, water bottles and crayons in patterns, recording with depth-sensor cameras.
From Barron's ● Jun. 11, 2026
So, yeah, people are posting pictures not just of sandwiches and knife sharpeners.
From New York Times ● May 5, 2023
Home teams must follow a standardized list of hosting requirements; it includes providing table saws to cut sticks and exhaust for skate sharpeners.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 10, 2023
Electric sharpeners require little effort on your end, but stones are generally the preferred choice since they're gentler on blades, relatively inexpensive, and easy to use.
From Salon ● Jun. 25, 2022
The top drawer was reserved for random items—handheld pencil sharpeners, school glue, masking tape, abnormally small screwdrivers, things like that.
From "As Brave As You" by Jason Reynolds
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
