1
a
: of slender width
a long and narrow room
b
: of less than standard or usual width
a narrow sidewalk
c
of a textile
: woven in widths usually less than 18 inches (46 centimeters)
2
: limited in size or scope
a narrow interpretation
3
a
: illiberal (see illiberal sense a) in views or disposition : prejudiced
the days of cold hearts and narrow minds—
T. B. Macaulay
T. B. Macaulay4
a
: barely sufficient : close
won by a narrow margin
b
: barely successful
a narrow escape
5
: minutely precise : meticulous
a narrow inspection
6
of an animal ration
: relatively rich in protein as compared with carbohydrate and fat
7
narrowly
adverb
narrowness
noun
narrowed; narrowing; narrows
1
: to decrease the breadth or extent of : contract
—often used with down
2
: to decrease the scope or sphere of : limit
—often used with down
narrow down the choices
: to lessen in width or extent : contract
—often used with down
: a narrow part or passage
specifically
: a strait connecting two bodies of water
—usually used in plural but singular or plural in construction
Synonyms
Examples of narrow in a Sentence
Adjective
The city's ancient streets are too narrow for buses.
We crossed at the narrowest part of the river.
His shoulders are very narrow.
within the narrow limits allowed by law
They offer a narrow range of flavors: chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla.
the study's narrow focus on 30-year-old men
The study was narrow in scope.
a narrow view of politics
Verb
The path was narrowed by overgrowth.
His eyes narrowed as he focused on the words in front of him.
The vase narrows at its top.
narrowing the range of options
You'll need to narrow the focus of your paper to one central idea.
The gap between their salaries was beginning to narrow.
Recent Examples on the WebKen Belson, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2024
The town, which sits in a narrow valley enclosed by steep, forested slopes, has a population of only 600.
—Simon Willis, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2024
These beautiful flowers are ideal for hummingbirds, with their long, narrow beaks designed to reach deep into the necks of tubular flowers.
—Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 25 Apr. 2024
If your home is short on floor space, check out this narrow 10-tier rack that more than 5,000 Amazon shoppers have snagged in the past month.
—Toni Sutton, Peoplemag, 24 Apr. 2024
Her book leans on a canon, too, albeit a narrower one.
—Molly Fischer, The New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2024
Some in the industry are welcoming more diverse artists, while others stick to a much narrower view of a genre that predominately centers around straight, white men.
—USA TODAY, 23 Apr. 2024
Greenwood peppered his instruction with stories of his exploits, like one about his narrowest escape, to demonstrate the deadly consequences of fear.
—Susan Tate Ankeny, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Apr. 2024
This is due to narrow, steep sections within inner-Canyon trails, unpredictable pet behavior, wildlife disturbance, and attracting predators, park services said.
—Coleby Phillips, The Arizona Republic, 13 Apr. 2024
Paolo Confino, Fortune, 25 Apr. 2024
Most recent polls have shown Trump leading Biden in a head-to-head rematch in Michigan this year, though the margin has been narrowing.
—Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press, 25 Apr. 2024
One analysis of TikTok’s U.S. market values the app at $100 billion—a sum that rather quickly narrows down the field of buyers.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2024
Also ongoing for the city is an environmental site assessment, currently in its second phase, working to narrow down the source of the chemicals.
—Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 18 Apr. 2024
That’s what the justices addressed on Monday in an opinion that narrowed the injunction, with dissent from the court’s three liberal members.
—Ian Max Stevenson, Idaho Statesman, 18 Apr. 2024
Obesity, which can narrow the airway, can increase a person's risk.
—Berkeley Lovelace Jr., NBC News, 17 Apr. 2024
While at-home measurements can give a rough idea to narrow your search, trying on a pack is critical before embarking on a trek.
—Kevin Brouillard, Travel + Leisure, 17 Apr. 2024
The freedom of women is narrowed not only by men (and the social and political order established by men) but also by their own propensity for love—even the love of men who bear doom in their very being.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2024
Paul Bloom, WSJ, 28 Oct. 2023
Your pupil naturally widens and narrows based on the brightness of the light around you.
—Troy Bedinghaus, Od, Verywell Health, 17 July 2023
But despite its Instagram appeal, the narrows is a flood manager’s nightmare.
—Louis Sahagún, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2023
There are options for the wide and the narrow of feet, for minimalist fans and thick-sole pounders, for mountain speedsters and fire-road plodders—and every runner in between.
—Justin Nyberg, Outside Online, 14 May 2015
Despite his considerable narrow-mindedness, Simmons found a counterintuitive wisdom in his bodily extremism, a blind faith only in that which facilitates maximum performance—call it optimization on steroids.
—Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2022
Democratic societies are encountering unprecedented challenges, which come not only from authoritarian regimes but equally from inside a society with narrow-mindedness, greed for power, and material desire, which are ingrained in human nature.
—Stephen Mooallem, Harper's BAZAAR, 1 Nov. 2021
Neither enjoys a large-enough back seat to support adults for hours on end, but the Ford squeezes out a narrow of victory in cargo room.
—K.c. Colwell, Car and Driver, 26 June 2021
No Trump-supporting, independent, or conservative-leaning characters appear except as foils to help illustrate the narrow-mindedness of the main subjects.
—Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 12 Sep. 2020
Adjective
To fuel businesses outside that narrow footprint, the Downtown Detroit Partnership created fan viewing sites in nearby parks.
—Ken Belson, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2024
The town, which sits in a narrow valley enclosed by steep, forested slopes, has a population of only 600.
—Simon Willis, Travel + Leisure, 25 Apr. 2024
These beautiful flowers are ideal for hummingbirds, with their long, narrow beaks designed to reach deep into the necks of tubular flowers.
—Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 25 Apr. 2024
If your home is short on floor space, check out this narrow 10-tier rack that more than 5,000 Amazon shoppers have snagged in the past month.
—Toni Sutton, Peoplemag, 24 Apr. 2024
Her book leans on a canon, too, albeit a narrower one.
—Molly Fischer, The New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2024
Some in the industry are welcoming more diverse artists, while others stick to a much narrower view of a genre that predominately centers around straight, white men.
—USA TODAY, 23 Apr. 2024
Greenwood peppered his instruction with stories of his exploits, like one about his narrowest escape, to demonstrate the deadly consequences of fear.
—Susan Tate Ankeny, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Apr. 2024
This is due to narrow, steep sections within inner-Canyon trails, unpredictable pet behavior, wildlife disturbance, and attracting predators, park services said.
—Coleby Phillips, The Arizona Republic, 13 Apr. 2024
Verb
To kick-start the economy, Sunak and the Tories are pushing a set of reforms that aim to increase Britain’s labor force participation rate, including narrowing who should qualify for long-term disability benefits.
—Paolo Confino, Fortune, 25 Apr. 2024
Most recent polls have shown Trump leading Biden in a head-to-head rematch in Michigan this year, though the margin has been narrowing.
—Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press, 25 Apr. 2024
One analysis of TikTok’s U.S. market values the app at $100 billion—a sum that rather quickly narrows down the field of buyers.
—Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2024
Also ongoing for the city is an environmental site assessment, currently in its second phase, working to narrow down the source of the chemicals.
—Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 18 Apr. 2024
That’s what the justices addressed on Monday in an opinion that narrowed the injunction, with dissent from the court’s three liberal members.
—Ian Max Stevenson, Idaho Statesman, 18 Apr. 2024
Obesity, which can narrow the airway, can increase a person's risk.
—Berkeley Lovelace Jr., NBC News, 17 Apr. 2024
While at-home measurements can give a rough idea to narrow your search, trying on a pack is critical before embarking on a trek.
—Kevin Brouillard, Travel + Leisure, 17 Apr. 2024
The freedom of women is narrowed not only by men (and the social and political order established by men) but also by their own propensity for love—even the love of men who bear doom in their very being.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2024
Noun
Adrenaline is released, heart rate increases, blood flows into the muscles, the digestive system shuts down and consciousness narrows, focusing on the threat.
—Paul Bloom, WSJ, 28 Oct. 2023
Your pupil naturally widens and narrows based on the brightness of the light around you.
—Troy Bedinghaus, Od, Verywell Health, 17 July 2023
But despite its Instagram appeal, the narrows is a flood manager’s nightmare.
—Louis Sahagún, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2023
There are options for the wide and the narrow of feet, for minimalist fans and thick-sole pounders, for mountain speedsters and fire-road plodders—and every runner in between.
—Justin Nyberg, Outside Online, 14 May 2015
Despite his considerable narrow-mindedness, Simmons found a counterintuitive wisdom in his bodily extremism, a blind faith only in that which facilitates maximum performance—call it optimization on steroids.
—Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2022
Democratic societies are encountering unprecedented challenges, which come not only from authoritarian regimes but equally from inside a society with narrow-mindedness, greed for power, and material desire, which are ingrained in human nature.
—Stephen Mooallem, Harper's BAZAAR, 1 Nov. 2021
Neither enjoys a large-enough back seat to support adults for hours on end, but the Ford squeezes out a narrow of victory in cargo room.
—K.c. Colwell, Car and Driver, 26 June 2021
No Trump-supporting, independent, or conservative-leaning characters appear except as foils to help illustrate the narrow-mindedness of the main subjects.
—Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 12 Sep. 2020
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'narrow.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near narrow
Cite this Entry
“Narrow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/narrow. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
narrow
1 of 3 adjective
nar·row
ˈnar-ō 
1
a
: of slender width
a narrow space
b
: of less than usual width
narrow roads
2
: limited in size or scope
a narrow selection of jeans
3
: not broad or open in views or opinions
narrow in their thinking
4
a
: barely enough for the purpose : close
won by a narrow margin
b
: barely successful
a narrow escape
narrowly
adverb
narrowness
noun
narrow
2 of 3 noun
: a narrow part or passage
especially
: a strait connecting two bodies of water
—usually used in plural
narrow
3 of 3 verb
: to lessen in width or extent : contract
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