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(Based off and inspired by JLee's What is a Word™ puzzles)

What Is A Sharp Word?

Word that conform to a specific rule are called sharp words. Here are some examples:

Sharp Words™ Non-Sharp Words™
WALLOW BATHE
WALK STROLL
SHORES BEACH
OTTER SEAL
DUSTY DIRTY
DUMP TOSS
GENOME GENETICS
LAUGH GIGGLE
GRUNT HARUMPH
PITA IXTLE

In CSV format:

Sharp Words™,Non-Sharp Words™
WALLOW,BATHE
WALK,STROLL
SHORES,BEACH
OTTER,SEAL
DUSTY,DIRTY
DUMP,TOSS
GENOME,GENETICS
LAUGH,GIGGLE
GRUNT,HARUMPH
PITA,IXTLE

What determines whether a word is or isn't a Sharp Word™? Why is it called a Sharp Word™?

HINT 1:

The last letter may be more important than you think.

HINT 2:

The word simply can't remain as is...

Improve this question
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  • $\begingroup$ Time for a hint? $\endgroup$
    – Kabir Kanha Arora
    Commented Jun 9, 2021 at 18:40

1 Answer 1

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I think a Sharp word is

one whose letters, excluding the last, form another word through rearrangement.

For example:

'Genome' forms 'gnome' and 'wallow' forms 'allow'. However 'bathe' doesn't qualify, because 'bath' is not a rearrangement, i.e., the letters remain "as is".

It is called "Sharp" because

'Sharp' is another such word.

Improve this answer
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    $\begingroup$ Welcome to Puzzling :) What about TOSS though? SOT is a word (and 'TOS' is not) yet it is classed as Non-Sharp here... $\endgroup$
    – Stiv
    Commented Jun 15, 2021 at 15:48
  • $\begingroup$ @Stiv I noticed that, but hoped it was just an oversight, or that the author was going for common words. $\endgroup$
    – Vir
    Commented Jun 15, 2021 at 16:00
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    $\begingroup$ What is your word for "laugh", is it "Gaul"? Because that opens up another issue. $\endgroup$
    – hexomino
    Commented Jun 15, 2021 at 16:08
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    $\begingroup$ Yeah, because you're allowing the use of proper nouns this disqualifies some more of the Non-Sharp words such as "harumph" (because of Amphur) and "beach" (because of Beca) $\endgroup$
    – hexomino
    Commented Jun 15, 2021 at 16:32
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    $\begingroup$ @TheJokester You might find it useful when creating a question like this to use an anagram solver to double-check your intended solution. In fact, whatever the puzzle type it's always good practice to double- and triple-check it before posting. The more you create, the more you'll get used to doing it :) $\endgroup$
    – Stiv
    Commented Jun 15, 2021 at 17:01

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