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
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.
“Star players absolutely helped sharpen our instincts as producers.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026
Fortunately, we saw enough to sharpen up a list of favorites.
From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026
Well, that is when dividend investors need to download the 10-K and sharpen their pencils.
From Barron's • May 8, 2026
The group earlier this month set out plans to streamline distribution and sharpen leadership as it looks to weather the storms affecting the spirits sector.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026
He lifted his fingers from the keyboard and sat perfectly still He felt his hearing sharpen and sharpen until it seemed like another sense entirely, reaching out and around him.
From "Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy" by Gary D. Schmidt
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.
