How to Use sharpen in a Sentence

sharpen

verb
  • Can you sharpen the image?
  • The outlines of the mountains sharpened as we got closer.
  • The lecture sharpened my understanding of the topic.
  • Get the tools, sharpen the axe, go to town on the money tree, right?
    — Vlad Voskresensky, Forbes, 5 July 2021
  • Butch Vig felt like the band had to sharpen the music to match.
    — Ilana Kaplan, EW.com, 10 June 2021
  • Meanwhile, both of them could use the courage to sharpen ...
    — Nr Editors, National Review, 1 Dec. 2023
  • March 25 will sharpen our minds to dig to the heart of all matters.
    — Kyle Thomas, People.com, 23 Mar. 2025
  • The Bills got a scare last week and that should sharpen their focus.
    — Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2023
  • Rodents chew on the wiring as a food source and to sharpen their teeth.
    — Jan Wagner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Feb. 2025
  • Here's a trio that will sharpen his prep work and lead to better meals in the end.
    — Mark Stock, Men's Health, 1 Nov. 2022
  • All to say, the time is now to sharpen your tightlining skills.
    — Lauren Valenti, Vogue, 25 Sep. 2020
  • That would force the Crown Office to sharpen up and put all the facts on the table.
    — Fox News, 5 Mar. 2020
  • The island’s shape sharpened: a thin slice of stone floating like a cataract on the dark iris of the sea.
    — Carina Del Valle Schorske, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024
  • If not, don't stress—each day brings a new chance to sharpen your skills.
    — Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 26 Dec. 2024
  • If not, don't stress—each day brings a new chance to sharpen your skills.
    — Justin Gest, Newsweek, 20 Jan. 2025
  • Check out how to sharpen a kitchen knife like a pro and where to get the best cutting boards.
    — Abigail Bailey, Good Housekeeping, 4 Nov. 2022
  • For best results, use a new blade or make sure to sharpen the old one.
    — Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, 1 May 2021
  • The sprint race should sharpen this one’s speed for a good effort.
    — Michael Beychok, NOLA.com, 23 Jan. 2021
  • Then, lock the tool into a vise or hold it still with a clamp and move a mill file along the edge of the blade to sharpen.
    — Renee Freemon Mulvihill, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Sep. 2022
  • The Academia is a hotel that wants to shake you awake, to sharpen your senses.
    — Liz Cantrell, Town & Country, 18 Oct. 2019
  • This tool was used to sharpen the stone tools by flaking off new sharp edges.
    — Nicholas St. Fleur, New York Times, 21 June 2018
  • But the past two weeks did sharpen the differences and spotlight the stakes.
    — Susan Page, USA TODAY, 29 Aug. 2020
  • Ask for extra chiles to sharpen the tang of crushed tamarind, then grab and go through the breezy window.
    — Nick Rallo, Dallas News, 5 Feb. 2021
  • And the blade end is sharpened to a crisp, tapered edge for slicing through roots.
    — Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 15 June 2018
  • The 2023 lottery pick is ready to sharpen his skills in the offseason for his third year in the league.
    — Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 May 2025
  • This will ensure you’re able to sharpen the entire length of each blade.
    — Bon Appétit, 16 Mar. 2022
  • This will sharpen your skills and give you the chance to meet other shooters.
    — The Editors, Outdoor Life, 3 June 2020
  • The gain may have been sharpened by investors who made bets that the stock would decline.
    — Matt Townsend, chicagotribune.com, 30 May 2018
  • The Philadelphia Eagles are working the phones this summer to sharpen the roster after a long season in 2024.
    — Justin Grasso, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Aug. 2025
  • Philosophers have long claimed that studying philosophy sharpens one’s mind.
    — Michael Prinzing, The Conversation, 21 Aug. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sharpen.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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