collocation · neutral
sharpen one's skills
UK/ˈʃɑːpən wʌnz skɪlz/US/ˈʃɑːrpən wʌnz skɪlz/SHAR·pen one's SKILLS
to improve and refine one's abilities through practice or additional training
Examples
“Volunteering at the shelter helped him sharpen his communication skills.”
“Attending workshops is a good way to sharpen one's skills before applying for a job.”
“She takes part in debates to sharpen her critical thinking skills.”
Band 8 sentence
“To stay competitive in the job market, graduates should continuously sharpen their skills through internships and short courses.”
Collocations
- sharpen one's skills through practice
- sharpen one's skills in a particular area
- regularly sharpen one's skills
Word family
Common mistakes
sharpen skills→sharpen one's skills
sharpen the skill→sharpen one's skills
Say it for a higher band
5improve skills→6develop one's skills→7+sharpen one's skills
Synonyms
hone one's skills
improve one's skills
Easily confused
hone one's skills
“She attended the seminar to hone her negotiation skills.”
Related words
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In Free time & Hobbies
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