sharpen
Americanverb (used with or without object)
verb
-
to make or become sharp or sharper
-
Usual US and Canadian word: sharp. music to raise the pitch of (a note), esp by one chromatic semitone
Other Word Forms
- presharpen verb (used with object)
- resharpen verb
- sharpener noun
- unsharpened adjective
- unsharpening adjective
- well-sharpened adjective
Etymology
Origin of sharpen
late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; 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.
The author is also fond of coining terms to sharpen his argument.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026
Not enough to announce itself, just enough to sharpen the whole composition with salt and acid.
From Salon • Apr. 14, 2026
A subsidy can cushion demand and sharpen marketing; it can’t manufacture newborns.
From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026
The difference is that in prediction markets, people are wagering actual money, which tends to sharpen the mind in ways that answering a pollster’s call during dinner does not.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2026
At the mention of the word “champions,” the attentiveness of the listening students seemed to sharpen.
From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling
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.
