SHARPEN: Synonyms and Related Words. What is Another Word for SHARPEN?

Need another word that means the same as “sharpen”? Find 18 synonyms and 30 related words for “sharpen” in this overview.

The synonyms of “Sharpen” are: heighten, focalise, focalize, focus, point, taper, make sharp, make sharper, hone, whet, strop, grind, file, improve, brush up, polish up, better, enhance

Sharpen as a Verb

Definitions of "Sharpen" as a verb

According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “sharpen” as a verb can have the following definitions:

• Raise the pitch of (a note) by a semitone.
• Put (an image) into focus.
• Make or become sharp or sharper.
• Make sharp or sharper.
• Make crisp or more crisp and precise.
• Make (one's senses) more acute.
• Raise the pitch of (musical notes.
• Give a point to.
• Become sharp or sharper.
• Improve or cause to improve.
• Make (images or sounds) sharp or sharper.

Synonyms of "Sharpen" as a verb (18 Words)

better	Get better. The residents are mostly Londoners who have bettered themselves.
brush up	Rub with a brush, or as if with a brush.
enhance	Intensify, increase, or further improve the quality, value, or extent of. His refusal does nothing to enhance his reputation.
file	Smooth with a file. File one s fingernails.
focalise	Concentrate on a particular place or spot.
focalize	Confine (a disease or infection) to a particular site in the body. The narrative discourse is focalized around the consciousness of the central protagonist.
focus	Put an image into focus. She focused her eyes on his face.
grind	Created by grinding. There were sweaty bodies everywhere bumping and grinding to the music.
heighten	Make (something) higher. Heightened interest.
hone	Sharpen with a hone. The detectives honed in on the suspect.
improve	To make better. The editor improved the manuscript with his changes.
make sharp	Reach a destination, either real or abstract.
make sharper	Calculate as being.
point	Give a point to. Point a gun.
polish up	Improve or perfect by pruning or polishing.
strop	Sharpen on or with a strop. Strop razors.
taper	Gradually lessen. The tail tapers to a rounded tip.
whet	Sharpen by rubbing as on a whetstone. She took out her dagger and began to whet its blade in even rhythmic strokes.

Usage Examples of "Sharpen" as a verb

• Students will sharpen up their reading skills.
• We had to sharpen our arguments.
• She sharpened her pencil.
• This drug will sharpen your vision.
• The debate sharpened.
• Sharpen the knives.
• Her tone sharpened.
• They've got to sharpen up in front of the goal.

Associations of "Sharpen" (30 Words)

abrasive	Causing abrasion. The trees were abrasive to the touch.
awl	A pointed tool for marking surfaces or for punching small holes.
ax	Chop or split with an ax. The NSF axed the research program and stopped funding it.
chop	Form or shape by chopping. All these projects are destined for the chop.
clipper	A fast sailing ship used in former times. A set of hair clippers.
crush	The act of crushing. The car crushed the toy.
drudgery	Hard menial or dull work. Domestic drudgery.
finely	In a subtle or sensitive manner. Finely tailored suits.
flour	Grind grain into flour. Manioc flour.
fork	Lift with a pitchfork. He has forked my bishop and knight.
grind	Make a grating or grinding sound by rubbing together. There were sweaty bodies everywhere bumping and grinding to the music.
hammer	The sport of throwing a hammer. Hammer the metal flat.
heighten	Increase. The athletes kept jumping over the steadily heightened bars.
hone	Sharpen with a hone. The detectives honed in on the suspect.
knife	Cut or move cleanly through something with a knife like action. A shard of steel knifed through the mainsail.
mash	Crush or smash something to a pulp. I ve just mashed a pot of tea.
mill	Grind something in a mill. In the machine shop we mill and grind the castings.
pointed	Having a point. Another pointed look in their direction.
powder	Any of various cosmetic or medical preparations dispensed in the form of a pulverized powder. Powder skiing.
pulverize	Reduce to fine particles. He had a winning car and pulverized the opposition.
razor	Cut with a razor. The tapered cut is razored to give movement.
scalpel	A thin straight surgical knife used in dissection and surgery.
scissors	Denoting an action in which two things cross each other or open and close like the blades of a pair of scissors. A dummy scissors from David Thomas deceived the opposition.
sharp	A long sharply pointed needle used for general sewing. He heard him playing a little sharp on the high notes.
shred	Tear or cut into shreds. Her dress was torn to shreds.
sickle	An edge tool for cutting grass or crops; has a curved blade and a short handle.
squash	Edible fruit of a squash plant eaten as a vegetable. She needled him with such venom that Seb was visibly squashed.
tamp	A tool for tamping e g for tamping tobacco into a pipe bowl or a charge into a drill hole etc. When the hole was tamped to the top gunpowder was inserted.
trident	A three-pronged spear, especially as an attribute of Poseidon (Neptune) or Britannia.
whet	Sharpen by rubbing as on a whetstone. The selection of quotations may whet your curiosity to investigate the source material.