smarten

American  

[smahr-tn] / ˈsmɑr tn /

verb (used with object)

1. to make more trim or spruce; improve in appearance (usually followed byup ).

   Try to smarten up your outfit.

2. to make brisker, as a pace.

3. to sharpen the judgment or broaden the experience of; educate (usually followed byup ).

   Someone has to smarten him up about dealing with people.

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verb phrase

1. smarten up

   1. to groom oneself.

      to smarten up before dinner.

   2. to become aware of one's mistakes, shortcomings, etc., and make efforts to correct them.

      If you don't smarten up, you're going to be out of a job.

smarten British  

/ ˈsmɑːtən /

verb

1. (intr) to make oneself neater

2. (tr) to make quicker or livelier

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Etymology

Origin of smarten

First recorded in 1805–15; smart + -en ¹

Example Sentences

Could have the game for Australia, but needs to smarten up.

From BBC

"They can fix it," one Whitehall source says, but "they have to realise they have caused it and smarten up how they make decisions".

From BBC

“They’re just so good on the power play. So let’s just smarten up in that area.”

From Los Angeles Times

In Jay-Z’s song 2021 hit “U Don’t Know,” he raps, “That’s another difference that’s between me and them / Heh, I smarten up, open the market up / One million, two million, three million, four / In 18 months, 80 million more / Now add that number up with the one I said before”

From Los Angeles Times

Part of the report published already last week also laid out a "game changing" blueprint for an evolved financial system where central bank digital currencies and tokenised banking assets speed up and smarten up transactions and global trade.

From Reuters