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"sharpness" is also used as a crossword clue. If that's what you saw, the answer is often acuity (6 letters).
Definitions
harshness of manner
Word origin
From Middle English sharpnesse, scharpnesse, from Old English sċearpnes (“sharpness”), equivalent to sharp + -ness.
Used in a sentence
“Mrs. PAGE is gifted with a pleasing voice, which is yet imperfectly weeded of certain sharpnesses, but seems susceptible of a wide range of melodious inflection.”
“A lack of match sharpness was perhaps to blame for Rooney squandering England's best chance after 27 minutes.”
“CUT-WATER, or KNEE OF THE HEAD [S.] the ſharpneſs of the head of the ſhip, below the beak;”
Source: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0
Used as a crossword answer1 curated clues
01“Keen edge”9 letters
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