sharpen
Americanverb (used with or without object)
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sharpens,
present (3rd person singular)
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sharpened,
past participle, past
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sharpening
present participle
verb
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to make or become sharp or sharper
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Usual US and Canadian word: sharp. music to raise the pitch of (a note), esp by one chromatic semitone
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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sharpenernoun
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resharpenverb
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presharpenverb (used with object)
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unsharpenedadjective
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unsharpeningadjective
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well-sharpenedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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sharpensimple
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sharpenssimple
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have sharpenedperfect
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has sharpenedperfect
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am sharpeningprogressive
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are sharpeningprogressive
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is sharpeningprogressive
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have been sharpeningperfect progressive
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has been sharpeningperfect progressive
Past
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sharpenedsimple
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had sharpenedperfect
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was sharpeningprogressive
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were sharpeningprogressive
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had been sharpeningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of sharpen
late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at sharp, -en 1
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:
Ulchi Freedom Shield is designed to sharpen South Korea’s ability to deal with a military confrontation with North Korea.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
Nvidia stock has been on a roll ahead of its earnings but AMD's most recent deal could sharpen AI chip competition.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
A small bundle of herbs can sharpen a bowl of rice and beans.
From Salon ● Aug. 4, 2026
These courses can sharpen product and subject knowledge that can help specific roles, she added.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026
The panthers, leopards and things of that sort, sat and then stood up against the trees to sharpen their front claws.
From "The Magician's Nephew" by C. S. Lewis
That “Going Shopping” is the album’s jauntiest cut — with a music video that restages Paul Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al,” no less — only sharpens the critique.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
That contrast sharpens Rotterdam's concern about losing energy intensive industry to regions with looser rules and cheaper power.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
The combination of a resilient economy with new sources of price pressure sharpens the debate facing the committee at its July 28-29 meeting.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
Nvidia’s newly announced Halos for Robotics safety stack sharpens the point: The company is building the software, compute and safety layer around humanoids, not trying to own the entire machine.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 2026
I’m sure I said it right, but the butcher sharpens his face, slams down our meat, and motions us away.
From "Inside Out and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai
Your appetite has been sharpened by sun, distance and swimming, and what you unwrap tastes less like something that survived the journey than something that has been quietly getting ready for you.
From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026
"Competition in the global automotive market has sharpened noticeably," BMW finance boss Walter Mertl said, adding that the company would let an unspecified number of people go to bring costs down.
From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026
Recent reporting on the Minneapolis Police Department’s response to the surge has sharpened this point.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
As China’s EV sales champion has faced many months of slowing demand in its home market and weaker profit in the first quarter, it has sharpened its focus on technology and overseas expansion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026
Laura's voice is tense and bright like a newly sharpened knife that every time she speaks cuts a little sliver from her self-control.
From "How the García Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez
Joseph Adinolfi broke down the factors leading to the sharpening of the Treasury-yield curve, how rising long-term rates affect investors and what may lie ahead.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
The foundations of Glave's recent progress has come from a focus on sharpening the first 40 metres of his race.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
“At the same time, we are sharpening our strategic focus, evaluating where we allocate capital and resources and making disciplined choices that we believe will strengthen Tractor Supply.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Instead, it seemed to wake the herbs up, sharpening their edges and giving the whole thing just enough brightness to keep the carbs from feeling sleepy.
From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026
“All but old Candy. He just sets in the bunk house sharpening his pencil and sharpening and figuring.”
From "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck
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.
