sharpened skills

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "sharpened skills" is grammatically correct and can be used in written English.
It refers to skills that have been improved or made more precise through practice or training. Example: After completing the workshop, my colleagues and I had sharpened our communication skills, making teamwork much more efficient.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

They say the teamwork and sharpened skills are too prized to be lost.

The New York Times

The Avenger Section Sergeant was an MOS -- 14 Sierra, Paratrooper and would be utilizing his sharpened skills in the sand box of Iraq -- maneuvering through Baghdad with precision.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

The members of our championship chess team, which I coach, use this freedom to sharpen skills on the chessboard.

The New York Times

Participants will also sharpen skills and awareness of how to document the stories that most need to recording and disseminating.

Columbia University

Do you need to invest time and resources to sharpen skills, knowledge, and abilities?

Forbes

Open-source projects are a great way to sharpen skills while working on something you're actually passionate about.

Forbes

Dear GrantDoctor,What is available for senior scientists who want to sharpen skills, get a new perspective, get out of a rut?

Science Magazine

New and serious gamers know that it takes a significant amount of time to sharpen skills, and to strategize ways to capture high scores.

TechCrunch

More than the preceding generation or my generation, for that matter they are seeking out opportunities to add or sharpen skills.

Forbes

Continuing to practice outside of work is the best way to sharpen skills and develop good habits.

WikiHow

This game has been hailed by some chess teams and players as being able to sharpen skills normally not exercised by the "normal" game.

WikiHow

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing professional development, use "sharpened skills" to emphasize the active process of improvement through training or experience.

Common error

Avoid using "sharpened skills" to describe inherent abilities or talents. This phrase implies a deliberate effort to improve, not a natural gift.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "sharpened skills" functions as a noun phrase, where "sharpened" acts as a past participle adjective modifying the noun "skills". It describes skills that have been improved or enhanced through practice, training, or experience. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and use in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Academia

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Science

0%

Wiki

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "sharpened skills" is a grammatically correct phrase used to describe skills that have been improved through effort and experience. Ludwig AI confirms this, and the examples show its use in contexts such as news and academia. While not overly common, the phrase is versatile and appropriate for describing professional development and enhanced capabilities. Remember to use it to emphasize the result of a deliberate improvement process.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

honed abilities

Replaces "skills" with "abilities" and "sharpened" with "honed", implying a refined level of expertise.

refined skills

Replaces "sharpened" with "refined", suggesting a subtle improvement in skills.

enhanced skills

Substitutes "sharpened" with "enhanced", indicating an increase in the quality or value of skills.

improved skills

Uses "improved" instead of "sharpened", denoting a general advancement in skills.

advanced skills

Replaces "sharpened" with "advanced", implying skills that are at a higher level.

developed skills

Uses "developed" instead of "sharpened", suggesting a gradual growth of skills.

cultivated skills

Substitutes "sharpened" with "cultivated", implying skills that have been carefully nurtured and grown.

polished skills

Replaces "sharpened" with "polished", suggesting that skills have been refined to a high degree.

optimized skills

Substitutes "sharpened" with "optimized", highlighting the enhancement to achieve maximum performance.

honed skill set

Replaces "skills" with "skill set" and "sharpened" with "honed", implying a refined range of expertise.

FAQs

How can I use "sharpened skills" in a sentence?

You might say, "The workshop significantly "sharpened our skills" in project management," or "Years of experience have "sharpened her skills" in negotiation."

What are some alternatives to "sharpened skills"?

Consider using "honed abilities", "refined skills", or "enhanced skills" as alternatives to "sharpened skills", depending on the context.

Is "sharpened skills" formal or informal language?

"Sharpened skills" is generally considered neutral to formal. It is suitable for professional, academic, and journalistic contexts.

What's the difference between "sharpened skills" and "acquired skills"?

"Sharpened skills" implies improvement of existing skills, while "acquired skills" refers to learning new skills.