SHARPENED Synonyms: 42 Similar and Opposite Words

sharpened 1 of 2

adjective

as in sharp

having an edge thin enough to cut or pierce something the sharpened blade of a lawn mower

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sharpened

2 of 2

verb

past tense of sharpen

as in edged

to make sharp or sharper you need to sharpen your penknife's blade frequently in order to be able to whittle properly

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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of sharpened

Verb

There may have been little place for critique in his early images of the luxe life, but their satirical edge sharpened over time, hitting a peak in a spoof of tabloid sensationalism in the September, 1962, issue. — Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026 For a young family of four, the arrival of a second daughter sharpened the constraints of San Francisco life—namely less square footage at higher costs—eventually leading them north to Marin County. — Kristen Flanagan, Architectural Digest, 6 Oct. 2026 His battle with Stage 4 oral cancer brought the contours of his life into stark relief, sharpened by seven weeks of radiation and chemotherapy. — Maddie Connors, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026 The decision to wind down Cruise and refocus on personal autonomy sharpened the company’s priorities, Barra said. — Alyson Shontell, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026 Meanwhile, in England and the United States and across continental Europe, statutes that punished idleness sharpened into vagrancy laws that gave police discretionary power to identify when a form of nonaction constituted criminal disorder. — Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026 An executive at Johnson Controls with experience as a project architect and manager, Kozlowski said his professional background had sharpened his approach to city projects, management and decision-making. — Haley Parsley, Sacbee.com, 29 Sep. 2026 The push to diversify marks a shift in the strategy Doustdar laid out after taking over as CEO last year, when Novo sharpened its focus on its core obesity and diabetes businesses and moved away from expanding into new areas. — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 21 Sep. 2026 And their pitching infrastructure, which originated under current New York Mets president David Stearns and was sharpened under senior vice president and general manager Matt Arnold, continues to be a model for the sport. — Johnny Flores Jr, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sharpened

Adjective

On its face, however, this inspirational message seems in sharp contrast to economic reality.

— Masood Ahmed, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
Bajaria’s foresight was sharper, investing in local language productions and building up Netflix’s global presence (almost two dozen international offices were opened during Bajaria’s reign).

— Matt Donnelly, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of sharp

Verb

Pawlik edged Howerton in Washington County, 12,698 votes (40%) to 12,129 (38%).

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2026
At the start, the top three held their grid positions, but Leclerc briefly challenged Verstappen into Turn 1 before the Dutchman edged ahead by squeezing him to the track’s inside and braking later.

— Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of edged

Verb

Getting observational data from Thwaites’ grounding line is the next step, Rignot said.

— Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 15 Oct. 2026
Of course, the West itself is a nebulous concept, one that was wholly absent from the ancient Greek and Roman luminaries who ground its canon.

— Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of ground

Verb

Ronen Bar, former head of the agency commonly known as Shin Bet, demanded $965,000 in the suit filed Wednesday.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
Kalshi has filed rehearing petitions asking the Sixth and Ninth Circuits to review their latest rulings, citing the forthcoming CFTC rules.

— Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of filed

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“Sharpened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sharpened. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of sharpened

adjective

verb

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