strop

as in to sharpen
to make sharp or sharper at the museum they showed us how men used to strop razors with leather bands before the days of disposable blades

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of strop To strop, draw your knife backward from heel to tip. Craig Caudill, Field & Stream, 13 July 2023 The Department of Transportation said the policy was in response to Beijing's refusal to allow a resumption of flights to China by U.S. carriers that stropped flying to China due to U.S. coronavirus restrictions. Harold Maass, TheWeek, 4 June 2020 Sometimes a leafy twig is selected, and before this can be used the chimpanzee has to strop off the leaves. National Geographic, 17 Apr. 2019 There’s little thunder, no off-piste mental excursions, no sense of a writer stropping his razor. New York Times, 9 July 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for strop
Verb
  • The edge gap is the widening space between marketing strategies that sharpen a brand’s competitive edge and those dulled by algorithmic automation, uniform targeting and the rinse-and-repeat logic of platform and industry best practice.
    Liam Wade, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
  • In any event, this is an opportunity to sharpen your skills, whether through studying or mastering a new way to relay messages.
    Valerie Mesa, People.com, 23 May 2025
Verb
  • The turmeric roots were chosen carefully and crushed on a sil batta (a traditional flat stone used for grinding), mixed with rosewater and milk, and placed into a ceremonial bowl.
    Sara Hussain, Vogue, 22 May 2025
  • Since Hamas’s devastating attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and Israel’s large-scale response, pro-Palestinian protests spread across the United States, including at Israeli consulates and college campuses, during the grinding conflict in Gaza.
    Adam Goldman, New York Times, 22 May 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Strop.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/strop. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!