whetting

verb

present participle of whet
as in sharpening
to make sharp or sharper whetted the knife with the grindstone

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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 whetting The announcement lands at the close of Marché du Film, where Japan was this year’s country of honor, and caps a busy session for Frontières Platform, which in recent years has been a key player in whetting the growing appetite for genre film at both the Cannes’ festival and market. — Jennie Punter, Variety, 22 May 2026 After six weeks whetting blades in the factory on a grinding belt, Brigitte received a silver motorbike. — Simon Akam, Vanity Fair, 2 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whetting
  1. sharpening
  2. grinding
Verb
  • Brent crude climbed back above $90 a barrel and gasoline stayed over $4 a gallon all month, deepening inflation pressures and sharpening expectations the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates again.
    — Damian J. Troise, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The Sun conjoins Mercury in Virgo and your 1st House of Self, sharpening your voice, presence, choices, and personal direction.
    — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of sharpening
Verb
  • Its core 1970s grinding yet melodic bluesy approach didn’t shift when synthesizers became the rage in the 1980s or when grunge overtook the rock world in the 1990s.
    — Rodney Ho, AJC.com, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The strain of ‘climbing the ladder’ The best esports players often have grinding schedules.
    — Erica D. Henn, The Conversation, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of grinding

Browse Nearby Words

whetted
whetting
whey-faced
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Whetting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whetting. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All