sharpening

6 definitions • 9 examples

present participle of

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).

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.

sharpen your wits We'll need to sharpen our wits if we're going to defeat Jack's team.

to make something clearer:

How do you sharpen the focus on this camera?

to make something play a higher musical note:

You need to sharpen the A string on your violin.