sharpen

[US]/ˈʃɑːpən/
[UK]/ˈʃɑːrpən/
Frequency: Very High

Translation

v. make something sharper (more pointed, clear) v. improve something v. intensify something

Phrases & Collocations

sharpen a pencil

sharpen a knife

sharpen a skill

sharpen focus

sharpen a saw

sharpen a blade

sharpen the mind

sharpen up

Example Sentences

Please sharpen this pencil.

sharpen one's knife for sb.

Debates sharpen one's wits.

This exercise will help students sharpen up their reading skills.

Discipline has sharpened them up.

I sharpened the leads to a fine point.

When you sharpen a pencil, you make chips.

She needs to sharpen up before next month’s competition.

coal producers must sharpen up or risk losing half their business.

A knife is sharpened on the grindstone;steel is tempered in fire.

The training is designed to sharpen the fighter’s reflexes.

Knives can be sharpened by grinding them against a rough stone.

"Start sharpening your transferrable skills," Levit said.

Dealing with suppliers directly, the importers are able to compute the cost of purchase more pellucidly, sharpen their own competitive edge and enlarge their proportion of the market share.

Real-world Examples

It was the sound of a knife being sharpened.

Source: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

The tip of the pencil needs to be sharpened.

Source: Lai Shixiong Basic English Vocabulary 2000

That helps to reduce stress and sharpen concentration.

Source: CET-6 Listening Past Exam Questions (with Translations)

Feifei, can you explain to our listeners why I'm sharpening an axe in the studio.

Source: BBC Authentic English

Sharpen your pencils before the test.

Source: New Concept English: Vocabulary On-the-Go, Book One.

The scientists are excited about how the technology might sharpen the pictures produced by radio telescopes.

Source: Science 60 Seconds - Scientific American December 2022 Compilation

When you sharpen a pencil, you make chips.

Source: Liu Yi's breakthrough of 5000 English vocabulary words.

The goal is to sharpen their people skills.

Source: Wall Street Journal

Tip number one is to sharpen the axe.

Source: Cambridge top student book sharing

Ellie sharpened her creative skills at school.

Source: VOA Special English - Life

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