Examples of sharpen in a Sentence
Can you sharpen the image?
The lecture sharpened my understanding of the topic.
The outlines of the mountains sharpened as we got closer.
Recent Examples on the Web
After years of sharpening political polarization, most partisans say their minds are firmly made up, including 87% of Biden voters and 89% of Trump voters.
—
Susan Page, USA TODAY, 2 July 2024
On the pitch, the team’s intensity sharpened into focus — a focus particularly evident from goalkeeper AD Franch.
—Kylie Volavongsa, Kansas City Star, 29 June 2024
Turkey’s decision to purchase the Russian S-400 missile system in 2019 sharpened the divide: the United States imposed sanctions on Turkey, and concerns about the risk of Russia gathering intelligence through the weapons system triggered Ankara’s expulsion from NATO’s F-35 fighter jet program.
—Asli Aydintasbas, Foreign Affairs, 6 June 2024
As director, Knight could have sharpened the characterizations of Adams and Mason, making the former a bit more prissy, perhaps, and the later a touch more cantankerous.
—Matthew J. Palm, Orlando Sentinel, 27 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for sharpen 
Susan Page, USA TODAY, 2 July 2024
On the pitch, the team’s intensity sharpened into focus — a focus particularly evident from goalkeeper AD Franch.
—Kylie Volavongsa, Kansas City Star, 29 June 2024
Turkey’s decision to purchase the Russian S-400 missile system in 2019 sharpened the divide: the United States imposed sanctions on Turkey, and concerns about the risk of Russia gathering intelligence through the weapons system triggered Ankara’s expulsion from NATO’s F-35 fighter jet program.
—Asli Aydintasbas, Foreign Affairs, 6 June 2024
As director, Knight could have sharpened the characterizations of Adams and Mason, making the former a bit more prissy, perhaps, and the later a touch more cantankerous.
—Matthew J. Palm, Orlando Sentinel, 27 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for sharpen
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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Cite this Entry
“Sharpen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sharpen. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sharpen
verb
sharp·en
ˈshär-pən 
sharpened; sharpening
ˈshärp-(ə-)niŋ
1
: to make or become sharp or sharper
sharpen a pencil
a better lens sharpened the image
pain that suddenly sharpened
2
: improve
sharpen one's skills
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