as in sharpened
having an edge thin enough to cut or pierce something
I'll need a well-whetted axe to split the wood
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Recent Examples of whetted
Joe Marusak,
Charlotte Observer,
26 June 2026
O’Ward’s full-season teammates, Christian Lundgaard and Nolan Siegel, have been joined by Ryan Hunter-Reay, a 45-year-old veteran going into his 18th Indy 500, who won the race back in 2014 and led a chunk of last year’s race that only whetted his appetite for another shot.
—
Luke Smith,
New York Times,
24 May 2026
That whetted her competitive desire.
—
Matt Le Cren,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
British Museum As excitement builds for the opening of the new Geffen Galleries at LACMA on Sunday (for priority members; May 4 for the general public), one’s appetite may be whetted to visit other museums.
—
Arts Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
The sheer audacity of the recent Louvre heist has whetted us readers’ appetites for heist stories—space heists, all the better!
—
Literary Hub,
2 Jan. 2026
Exposure to the outside world, through her father's work, must have whetted MacLeod's appetite for travel, Crichton says.
—
Lauren Frayer,
NPR,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
The team whetted fans’ appetites by promising initiatives involving Fieri throughout the race season.
—
Joe Marusak,
Charlotte Observer,
26 June 2026
O’Ward’s full-season teammates, Christian Lundgaard and Nolan Siegel, have been joined by Ryan Hunter-Reay, a 45-year-old veteran going into his 18th Indy 500, who won the race back in 2014 and led a chunk of last year’s race that only whetted his appetite for another shot.
—
Luke Smith,
New York Times,
24 May 2026
That whetted her competitive desire.
—
Matt Le Cren,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
British Museum As excitement builds for the opening of the new Geffen Galleries at LACMA on Sunday (for priority members; May 4 for the general public), one’s appetite may be whetted to visit other museums.
—
Arts Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
The sheer audacity of the recent Louvre heist has whetted us readers’ appetites for heist stories—space heists, all the better!
—
Literary Hub,
2 Jan. 2026
Exposure to the outside world, through her father's work, must have whetted MacLeod's appetite for travel, Crichton says.
—
Lauren Frayer,
NPR,
14 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for whetted
Adjective
-
Tourism in Albania has seen a sharp increase in recent years, with people relishing the nation’s vast, undeveloped coastline.
-
Netanyahu, 76, has spent decades mastering political theater, sharp messaging and grand performances.
Verb
-
That gap matters because the science on prevention has sharpened considerably in the past two years.
-
One of the joys of Air, down to the breathy purity of its title, is its contempt for design—an easy target, but one for which Kracht has sharpened his blade.
Cite this Entry
“Whetted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/whetted. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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