Synonyms

sharper

American

[shahr-per] / ˈʃɑr pər /

noun

Slang.

a shrewd swindler.
a professional gambler.

sharper British

/ ˈʃɑːpə /

noun

a person who cheats or swindles; fraud

"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

Etymology

Origin of sharper

First recorded in 1560–70; sharp + -er 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.

Bigger scale would give McCormick far more leverage with retailers, while the brands would gain sharper focus.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

"Hopefully I come back after the internationals a lot sharper and hopefully I can get more minutes and be back to where I was at the start of the season."

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

The “Beastification” of Step is expected to include a sharper focus on the financial-literacy tools within the app.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 17, 2026

“Uses for ‘found money’ could include even sharper pricing, offsetting incremental non-IEEPA tariffs, new member sign up bonuses, additional services, and/or enhanced store labor/multichannel integration.”

From Barron's • Mar. 5, 2026

In it, smells and sounds were sharper, but he could see almost as well as in the light.

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023