narrow

1 of 3

adjective

nar·​row ˈner-(ˌ)ō How to pronounce narrow (audio)
ˈna-(ˌ)rō
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 mindsT. B. Macaulay
b
chiefly dialectal : stingy, niggardly
4
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

narrow

2 of 3

verb

narrowed; narrowing; narrows

transitive verb

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

intransitive verb

: to lessen in width or extent : contract
often used with down

narrow

3 of 3

noun

: a narrow part or passage
specifically : a strait connecting two bodies of water
usually used in plural but singular or plural in construction

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 Web
Adjective
Riverdale Ridge keeps a narrow 28-26 advantage going into halftime. Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 8 Mar. 2024 For privacy, a narrow corridor that runs the length of the apartment allows staff and guests to pass from the living room to the dressing room and kitchen without having to go through the bedroom and bath. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 8 Mar. 2024 If restrictions around embryos — whether narrow like in Louisiana or broader like in Alabama — grip other states, IVF clinics could face new limitations on where embryos can be stored and shipped. Anumita Kaur, Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2024 Jutting trees shaded the narrow, shallow river, which gracefully curved its way into a thicket of emerald green. Mya Guarnieri, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2024 In her experience, Google’s conception of diversity can be narrow. Paresh Dave, WIRED, 7 Mar. 2024 The Stars have made a habit of winning one-goal games, as their 21 victories by the narrowest of margins are four more than any other NHL team this season. Andrew Knoll, Orange County Register, 7 Mar. 2024 During that time, large trucks would occasionally park on her narrow street in Highland Park. Keith Wagstaff, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2024 The fourth includes a more narrow set of stairs to the water, with walkways and seat walls. The Enquirer, 23 Feb. 2024
Verb
But opportunities for others to take the same path have narrowed since the pandemic, experts say – leaving untold numbers of North Korean girls and women trapped in servitude. Jessie Yeung, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024 But in the final week of Florida’s 60-day legislative session, the focus has narrowed just to heat protections. Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 6 Mar. 2024 Looking toward the one-on-one face-off in November, a recent poll showed that Biden enjoys a comfortable lead in left-leaning California, though his margin over Trump has narrowed in the last three years he’s been in office. Faith E. Pinho, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2024 The return of such reluctant Democrats is one reason the Biden campaign has been optimistic that polling will narrow, and eventually flip, as the choice between Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden becomes clearer. Shane Goldmacher, New York Times, 2 Mar. 2024 Street corners have been so narrowed that making a turn into or out of one often risks hitting or being hit by another car. Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2024 This not only narrows the scope but expedites fault identification and analysis, saving the automaker both time and money. Mayank Sikaria, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Through an extensive and difficult process, the wide-ranging field was narrowed down to a handful of candidates in the past few weeks. Andy Greder, Twin Cities, 29 Feb. 2024 In the same period, Nexstar’s losses at the CW narrowed to $52 million from $60 million in Q3. Jennifer Maas, Variety, 28 Feb. 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.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective, Verb, and Noun

Middle English narowe, from Old English nearu; akin to Old High German narwa scar

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of narrow was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near narrow

Cite this Entry

“Narrow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/narrow. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

narrow

1 of 3 adjective
nar·​row ˈnar-ō How to pronounce narrow (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on narrow

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