sharper

noun

ˈshär-pər How to pronounce sharper (audio)
Definition of sharpernext
as in cheat
a dishonest person who uses clever means to cheat others out of something of value carnival sharpers eager to relieve the yokels of their money

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 sharper The sophomore from Colleyville has been a touch sharper on field goals than Jonathan Song in the fall practices. — Carlos Mendez, star-telegram, 14 Aug. 2017 And the aboveground economy will remain the province of the unindicted sharpers who did such a great job with it in 2008. — Charles P. Pierce, SI.com, 30 Sep. 2017 Yet as Russian war atrocities have become more evident, and Ukraine’s need for heavy armor has increased, the lines have grown blurrier and the rhetoric sharper. — David E. Sanger, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2022 Both offer blistering acceleration and sharper handling than the standard model. — Eric Stafford, Car and Driver, 19 Feb. 2021 For example, there is the Butch Lewis Act, which has nothing at all to do with boxing but, rather, is a bill to protect private pensions from being looted by corporate sharpers. — Charles P. Pierce, Esquire, 20 Jan. 2018 Where Super Mario 64 suffers is in its environmental textures, which don't appear to have been redrawn to look any sharper on higher-resolution screens. — Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, 16 Sep. 2020
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sharper
  1. cheat
  2. dodger
  3. shark
  4. skinner
Noun
  • Sometimes, the fourth-grader asks Robo-Dad for Minecraft cheats.
    — Ella Chakarian, Rolling Stone, 28 June 2026
  • And then Bobby is just a cheat code for comedy writers.
    — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 19 June 2026
Definition of cheat
Noun
  • Ukraine faces severe personnel shortages with around 200,000 military desertions and 2 million draft-dodgers, threatening its ability to sustain the war against Russia’s 2022 invasion.
    — Kirsten Grieshaber, Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2026
  • Almost all other passengers dine at the Britannia Restaurant, and there’s also a buffet restaurant serving international cuisine, with options for vegans, vegetarians and dairy dodgers.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Jan. 2026
Definition of dodger
Noun
  • That night, Valencia, the vessel’s captain, set out with a crew of nine from Jaramijó, Ecuador, for what was expected to be a typical three-week voyage, casting lines for shark, marlin, and tuna.
    — Will Freeman, New Yorker, 30 June 2026
  • The group stage would be a series of blowouts, the sharks would devour the minnows.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2026
Definition of shark
Noun
  • One of my buddies uses a fish skinner on his backstraps to cut away the silverskin, which works well, but requires an extra gadget.
    — Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 28 Aug. 2025
  • Inskip and her colleagues zeroed in on the medieval city of Winchester, which had not only skinners, tailors, and furriers, but also a hospital for leprosy patients.
    — BySean Cummings, science.org, 7 Aug. 2024
Definition of skinner

Browse Nearby Words

sharpens
sharper
sharpers
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Cite this Entry

“Sharper.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sharper. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on sharper

Nglish: Translation of sharper for Spanish Speakers

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