sharpen

Definition

To make sharp.

Etymology

From Middle English scharpenen, scharpnen, equivalent to sharp + -en.

Example Sentences

• "to sharpen a pencil or a knife or a musical note"
• "He that wrestles with us strengthens our nerves and sharpens our skill."
• "The use of algorithms in policing is one example of their increasing influence on our lives.[…]who, if anyone, is policing their use. Such concerns were sharpened further by the continuing revelations about how the US National Security Agency (NSA) has been using algorithms to help it interpret the colossal amounts of data it has collected from its covert dragnet of international telecommunications."