sharpen

[ shahr-puhn ]

/ ˈʃɑr pən /

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See synonyms for: sharpen / sharpened / sharpening on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with or without object)

to make or become sharp or sharper.

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have

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Origin of sharpen

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at sharp, -en¹

OTHER WORDS FROM sharpen

sharp·en·er, nounpre·sharp·en, verb (used with object)re·sharp·en, verbun·sharp·ened, adjective

un·sharp·en·ing, adjectivewell-sharpened, adjective

Words nearby sharpen

sharp-cut, Sharpe, sharp-eared, sharp-edged, Shar-Pei, sharpen, sharper, Sharpe's grysbok, Sharpeville, sharp-eyed, Sharpey-Schafer

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use sharpen in a sentence

Your best bet is sending knives made from more exotic blade steels off to their makers for sharpening by their in-house specialists.
Three Questions to Ask Yourself Before Buying a Knife|Wes Siler|September 3, 2020|Outside Online
They all want to sharpen their knowledge of the latest greatest thing for employability.
Power SEO Friendly Markup With HTML5, CSS3, And Javascript|Detlef Johnson|August 20, 2020|Search Engine Land
Small bone artifacts with sharpened tips unearthed in a Sri Lankan cave represent the earliest evidence of bow-and-arrow use outside Africa, says a team led by archaeologist Michelle Langley of Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia.
Clues to the earliest known bow-and-arrow hunting outside Africa have been found|Bruce Bower|June 12, 2020|Science News
These people left behind small, sharpened stones with pointed ends.
This cave hosted the oldest known human remains in Europe|Bruce Bower|June 12, 2020|Science News For Students

This will give you the feeling of “going to class” and help sharpen your focus.
Five tips for learning better from home|Rachel Kehoe|April 9, 2020|Science News For Students
Despite a dizzying number of women coming forward against her husband, Camille Cosby refuses to sharpen her blade of vengeance.
Why Didn’t Camille Dump Bill Cosby?|Amanda Marcotte|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It took practice for Hayes to sharpen his show, Riding the Midnight Express with Billy Hayes.
The Unbelievable (True) Story of the World’s Most Infamous Hash Smuggler|Marlow Stern|November 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And while technology can help sharpen the brain and calm the nerves, true mental health is much more holistic.
10 Best Apps to Train Your Brain|DailyBurn|June 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Our feeble attempts to push back the Grim Reaper only sharpen its cruel bite, not dull it.
The New World of Anti-Aging Dentistry|Kent Sepkowitz|June 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
You live, acquire wisdom, sharpen your own awareness, and pursue your understanding of a good and meaningful life.
He Left Nirvana Because He Had Cooler Things to Do. Like Going to Iraq.|Jacob Siegel|April 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
To do this it is necessary to slightly flatten all the fifths and sharpen the major thirds.
The Recent Revolution in Organ Building|George Laing Miller
Mr. Blossom drew a jackknife from his pocket and began leisurely to sharpen a pencil.
Scattergood Baines|Clarence Budington Kelland
Raf faced the misty figure, trying to force his memory to put features there, to sharpen outlines.
Star Born|Andre Norton
His calm, classic features began to whiten (and sharpen) in the frosty moonlight.
Over the Sliprails|Henry Lawson
The subtleties of the trail sharpen both physical and mental sensibility.
Average Jones|Samuel Hopkins Adams

British Dictionary definitions for sharpen

sharpen

/ (ˈʃɑːpən) /

verb

to make or become sharp or sharper

music to raise the pitch of (a note), esp by one chromatic semitoneUsual US and Canadian word: sharp

Derived forms of sharpen

sharpener, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

sharpen

Origin of sharpen

OTHER WORDS FROM sharpen

Words nearby sharpen

Words related to sharpen

How to use sharpen in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sharpen

Derived forms of sharpen