sharpness

noun

Definition of sharpnessnext
1
as in bitterness
a harsh or sharp quality he found that the bland crackers helped cut the sharpness of the cheese

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in chill
an uncomfortable degree of coolness dress warmly; there's a bit of sharpness in the air today

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3
as in intelligence
exceptional discernment and judgment especially in practical matters possesses a political sharpness that most campaign managers would envy

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4
as in sensitivity
the state or quality of being able to sense slight impressions or differences possesses the proverbial sharpness of an eagle's eye

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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 sharpness This midlife window gives us the opening to set our brains up for years of mental sharpness. — Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 14 Oct. 2026 As for my side by sides, there was a 4-degree difference of sharpness along my jawline and my cheekbones were lifted by one percent. — Shelby Wax, Vogue, 12 Oct. 2026 The process sounds similar to Apple’s excellent nano-texture finishes, but Amazon seems to believe its method comes with even fewer tradeoffs in contrast and sharpness. — David Pierce, The Verge, 8 Oct. 2026 On top of the coffee, there are molasses hints in the sauce thanks to the brown sugar and a slight bite from the sharpness of the apple cider vinegar, too. — Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 3 Oct. 2026 Almost a decade later in its Broadway debut, it’s lost none of that, and White’s production — perhaps inevitably given the arc of those passing years — adds sharpness to its cruelties and weight to its grief. — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2026 Butchering an animal, removing its skin and processing its meat could each require a different balance of sharpness, precision and durability. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 18 Sep. 2026 After showing signs of sharpness Monday in Detroit, Ryan never settled in Sunday, and Cleveland took advantage. — Dan Hayes, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026 Beavis and Butt-Head function as a note-perfect satire of teenage confidence and idiocy, but the sharpness of the writing has always belied the bottom-of-the-barrel intellect of its title characters. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sharpness
  1. bitterness
  2. chill
  3. intelligence
  4. sensitivity
  5. edge
  6. chilliness
  7. wit
  8. bite
Noun
  • But few, if any, can match the tradition, scale, and bitterness of the yearly clash between Alabama and Tennessee on the third Saturday in October.
    — Austin Evans, Southern Living, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Written with a reporter’s sharp eye for detail and a remarkable lack of anger or bitterness, this is a compelling story of courage and grace.
    — Monitor reviewers, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of bitterness
Noun
  • Nothing sounds better than birria when a chill hits the October air.
    — Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The chill was slipping through the cracks in her windows and warps in her 48-year-old trailer.
    — Rachel Siegel, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of chill
Noun
  • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, repeated his warning Sunday that Iran or its proxies could launch an attack before the election to disrupt the vote, citing intelligence.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Oct. 2026
  • What readers are saying The comments discuss a case involving a person who sent letters containing a suspicious substance, with many commenters criticizing the individual's intelligence for including his return address.
    — Violet Jira, Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of intelligence
Noun
  • These give the driver real-time control over accelerator pedal sensitivity, wheel slip thresholds (with nine traction settings) and cornering agility.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The authors concluded that improved laboratory sensitivity and statistical methods could help agencies better interpret drinking-water monitoring results.
    — Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of sensitivity
Noun
  • Sequenced at the center of a three-track medley, its death-dream logic deliberately evokes the SMiLE era’s dark, confusing edge.
    — Ryan Meehan, Pitchfork, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Wear one in beige or white to add a bit of brightness to your look, or black for some edge.
    — Michel Mejía, Glamour, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of edge
Noun
  • Or that Penélope Cruz’s sultry chilliness would jibe with either her male counterparts or Wilde’s diary-of-a-mad-housewife interpretation of a brittle, eager-to-impress woman brimming with creative frustration.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 26 June 2026
Definition of chilliness
Noun
  • Maybe not laugh-out-loud humor, though that’s there, but other forms of humor like wit, deadpan, understatement, exaggeration, recognition, irony.
    — Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Naturally, Roan brought her signature candor and wit to the performance, joking around with fans in the audience.
    — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of wit
Noun
  • Shamonda virus is spread by bites from a type of fly called a midge.
    — Amanda Erickson, STAT, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Eleven people remain missing after an 89-hour search; several survivors suffered injuries consistent with shark bites.
    — Jaimie Ding, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of bite

Browse Nearby Words

sharply
sharpness
sharps
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Cite this Entry

“Sharpness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sharpness. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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