sharpen

[ shahr-puh n ]

/ ˈʃɑr pən /

to make or become sharp or sharper.

Origin of sharpen

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at sharp, -en¹

sharp·en·er, noun pre·sharp·en, verb (used with object) re·sharp·en, verb un·sharp·ened, adjective

un·sharp·en·ing, adjective well-sharp·ened, adjective

Despite a dizzying number of women coming forward against her husband, Camille Cosby refuses to sharpen her blade of vengeance.

Why Didn’t Camille Dump Bill Cosby? |Amanda Marcotte |December 17, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
It took practice for Hayes to sharpen his show, Riding the Midnight Express with Billy Hayes.

The Unbelievable (True) Story of the World’s Most Infamous Hash Smuggler |Marlow Stern |November 14, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Our feeble attempts to push back the Grim Reaper only sharpen its cruel bite, not dull it.

The New World of Anti-Aging Dentistry |Kent Sepkowitz |June 4, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
You live, acquire wisdom, sharpen your own awareness, and pursue your understanding of a good and meaningful life.

He Left Nirvana Because He Had Cooler Things to Do. Like Going to Iraq. |Jacob Siegel |April 12, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

She speaks in thick paragraphs that her staffers probably wish they could condense and sharpen at times.

Could a Pro-Pot Lesbian Become the Next Governor of Maryland? |Jim Newell |March 11, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
He said no more, but seated himself and began to sharpen his seax on a smooth, hard stone.

Ulric the Jarl |William O. Stoddard
Here is a love-billet from some simpleton, with a knife as a souvenir; sharpen it on the Arbicos.

Under Two Flags |Ouida [Louise de la Ramee]
The three Indians at once undertook not only to put handles to the hammers, but to sharpen the stones intended for axeheads.

The Wanderers |W.H.G. Kingston
Indeed, the grand and only use of examples, is to sharpen the judgement.

The Critique of Pure Reason |Immanuel Kant
The heat seems to sharpen their desires and morbidly arouse all their senses.

Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Volume 2 (of 6) |Havelock Ellis

sharpen

/ (ˈʃɑːpən) /

to make or become sharp or sharper

music to raise the pitch of (a note), esp by one chromatic semitone Usual US and Canadian word: sharp

sharpener, noun