sharpenverb [ T ]
uk/ˈʃɑː.pən/us/ˈʃɑːr.pən/sharpen verb [ T ] (ABLE TO CUT)
C2 to make something sharp or sharper:
My pencil is blunt - I'll have to sharpen it.
figurative The company is cutting production costs in an attempt to sharpen its competitive edge (= in order to improve how competitive it is).
More examples
- I need to sharpen that knife.
- She sharpened the blade.
- He sharpened the edge of the stick to a point.
- The surgeon sharpened his scalpel.
- He used to sharpen his razor on a leather strap.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Sharp and blunt
- blunt
- hone
- jaggy
- keen
- point
- pointed
- pointy
- prickly
- razor-sharp
- sharp
- sharply
- spike
- spiked
- spiky
- spiny
- whet
sharpen verb [ T ] (MAKE STRONG)
to make something stronger:
Recent changes have sharpened competition between the airlines.
The prison riots have sharpened the debate about how prisons should be run.
to improve:
I hope this course will help me sharpen my computer skills.
I went to university to sharpen my mind.
We'll need to sharpen our wits if we're going to defeat Jack's team.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Becoming and making stronger
- aggrandize
- boil
- boil up
- bolster
- cement
- concentrate
- concentrated
- dial
- fortify
- fuel
- gel
- harden
- jell
- power (sth) up
- reignite
- strengthen sb's hand idiom
- take hold idiom
- that'll put hairs on your chest! idiom
- tighten
- tighten sth up
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
Becoming better
Making things better
sharpen verb [ T ] (CLEAR)
to make something clearer:
How do you sharpen the focus on this camera?
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Defining & explaining
- (do you) see what I mean? idiom
- account (to sb) for sth
- accountable
- cast
- clarify
- convey
- demystify
- descriptive
- every picture tells a story idiom
- evocative
- evoke
- explicable
- explicate
- fill
- get sth across
- justify
- mean
- scene
- schematic
- that is to say ... idiom
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sharpen verb [ T ] (MUSIC)
to make something play a higher musical note:
You need to sharpen the A string on your violin.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Making things better
- a shot in the arm idiom
- add salt to sth idiom
- allay
- alleviate
- ameliorate
- heal
- make sb/sth over
- mitigate
- mollify
- more
- palliate
- redeem
- relieve
- salve
- spice
- spice sth up
- sting
- straighten
- straighten sb out
- streamline
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Phrasal verb(s)
sharpen (sth) up