WHETTED Synonyms: 42 Similar and Opposite Words

whetted 1 of 2

adjective

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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whetted

2 of 2

verb

past tense of whet

as in ground

to make sharp or sharper whetted the knife with the grindstone

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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 whetted

Verb

Frasers’ failed takeover bid this past summer only whetted its acquisitive owner Mike Ashley‘s appetite for more. — Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026 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

Someone slaps a strip of medical tape across their lips, promises you deeper sleep, fewer snores and a sharper jawline by morning, then cuts to a dreamy sunrise shot.

— Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026
And while Kim tends to gravitate toward body-conscious silhouettes and plenty of skin, Kris has made a signature of sharp tailoring, statement accessories, and an unapologetic dose of flash.

— Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of sharp

Verb

Cohan joins the eight-episode series as Catherine ‘Cat’ Keegan, a former homecoming queen whose small-town charm has sharpened into something fiercer thanks to decades of old grudges and regrets.

— Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026
Cohan plays Catherine ‘Cat’ Keegan, a former homecoming queen whose small-town charm has sharpened into something fiercer thanks to decades of old grudges and regrets.

— Matt Grobar, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of sharpened

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Style

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

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Synonyms of whetted

adjective

verb

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