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.
  • But there has to be a point where that has to be sharpened.
    — Doug Padilla, Oc Register, 1 Sep. 2025
  • If not, don't stress—each day brings a new chance to sharpen your skills.
    — Justin Gest, Newsweek, 20 Jan. 2025
  • If not, don't stress—each day brings a new chance to sharpen your skills.
    — Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 26 Dec. 2024
  • Then, sharpen the other side of the blade.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 8 June 2026
  • Taking a short course to sharpen a skill.
    — Luciana Paulise, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2025
  • These toys can help sharpen their focus and teach them new skills.
    — Kai Burkhardt, CNN Underscored, 4 Dec. 2020
  • All to say, the time is now to sharpen your tightlining skills.
    — Lauren Valenti, Vogue, 25 Sep. 2020
  • The sprint race should sharpen this one’s speed for a good effort.
    — Michael Beychok, NOLA.com, 23 Jan. 2021
  • Rodents chew on the wiring as a food source and to sharpen their teeth.
    — Jan Wagner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Feb. 2025
  • For best results, use a new blade or make sure to sharpen the old one.
    — Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, 1 May 2021
  • This tool was used to sharpen the stone tools by flaking off new sharp edges.
    — Nicholas St. Fleur, New York Times, 21 June 2018
  • Get the tools, sharpen the axe, go to town on the money tree, right?
    — Vlad Voskresensky, Forbes, 5 July 2021
  • Our poll findings sharpen the point.
    — Tracy Hernandez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 May 2026
  • Shouldn't even be that hard to sharpen the blasted thing, let alone twist it.
    — Arkansas Online, 15 Jan. 2026
  • Shouldn’t even be that hard to sharpen the blasted thing, let alone twist it.
    — Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 13 Jan. 2026
  • 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
  • Butch Vig felt like the band had to sharpen the music to match.
    — Ilana Kaplan, EW.com, 10 June 2021
  • 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
  • Tune up your mower and sharpen your blades before the first cut.
    — Arricca Elin Sansone, House Beautiful, 15 Apr. 2021
  • The Bills got a scare last week and that should sharpen their focus.
    — Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2023
  • Strong verbs sharpen a sentence.
    — Jasna Hodžić, Big Think, 10 Mar. 2026
  • He was given the tools, but has also worked hard to sharpen them.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Apr. 2026
  • This will sharpen your skills and give you the chance to meet other shooters.
    — The Editors, Outdoor Life, 3 June 2020
  • Keep an eye out for any of these signs if the mower blades haven't been sharpened in a while.
    — Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 May 2026
  • Adding blinkers for the first time should only sharpen that speed.
    — Star Tribune, 15 June 2021
  • The backlash is sharpened by the money at stake.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 Feb. 2026
  • March 25 will sharpen our minds to dig to the heart of all matters.
    — Kyle Thomas, People.com, 23 Mar. 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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