widen

verb

wid·​en ˈwī-dᵊn 

widened; widening ˈwīd-niŋ 

ˈwī-dᵊn-iŋ

transitive verb

: to increase the width, scope, or extent of

widen a road

widen an investigation

intransitive verb

: to become wide or wider

a widening gap

widener

ˈwīd-nər 

ˈwī-dᵊn-ər

noun

Examples of widen in a Sentence

The city is going to widen the road.

They plan to widen the investigation.

Her eyes widened in surprise.

They went swimming at a spot where the river widens.

The scope of the investigation has widened.

Recent Examples on the Web

The role of other major hosts, including Fallon, became more prominent as discussions widened to the broader responsibilities and vulnerabilities faced by late-night hosts. —Hollie Silverman, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025

Rocks have tiny fissures into which water can seep; when the temperature drops, the water expands into ice, exerting pressure and widening the cracks. —Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 24 Sep. 2025

Americans, in particular, showed higher levels of concern compared to their European peers for every time period measured, with the gap widening over time. —Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 24 Sep. 2025

Since then, replay review has widened to include many other types of calls, including force-outs on bases and whether fly balls were caught before touching the ground. —Becky Sullivan, NPR, 23 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1566, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for widen

• poseidon

Kids Definition

widen

verb

wid·​en ˈwīd-ᵊn 

widened; widening ˈwīd-niŋ 

-ᵊn-iŋ

: to make or become wide or wider : broaden