sharpen
Americanverb (used with or without object)
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:
A small bundle of herbs can sharpen a bowl of rice and beans.
From Salon ● Aug. 4, 2026
Join this trusted community where CFOs and COOs exchange approaches, access strategic insights and continuously sharpen their influence across the enterprise.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
Rather than serving as a heavy hammer, it functioned as a softer striking tool used to repair and sharpen stone handaxes and other cutting implements after their edges became worn.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 27, 2026
The academic Fery studied for a degree in science, technology and society, giving him a back-up in case tennis did not work out but also allowing him to sharpen his game on a tennis scholarship.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
Papa helps me sharpen them with his knife, and he doesn’t question me about my writing.
From "The Night Diary" by Veera Hiranandani
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
This is a Golden Boot race shaped by stars, sharpened by numbers and defined by rarity.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
Grandma had provided me with a new notepad, a sharpened pencil, and color crayons, which I put on the desk.
From "March Forward, Girl" by Melba Pattillo Beals
Lamboria credits her ASI coaches for improving his physical strength and a motivational coach and sports psychologist for sharpening her mental game.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
That was why Xi kept leaning on the state sector as the centerpiece of his economic model, Gao said, and why the line between state and private kept blurring rather than sharpening.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 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
"He campaigned in black and white, sharpening differences," said researcher Juan Alvarez at the Caro y Cuervo Institute.
From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 2026
Their mingled scents drifted in the air, rousing all my senses and sharpening my mind.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
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.
