1
as in thin
being of less than usual width
found a narrow opening in the fence that he was able to squeeze through
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in small
not broad or open in views or opinions
a narrow person who thought that anyone who even owned a television had been morally corrupted by society
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in limited
having distinct or certain limits
a play about human suffering, but in a narrower sense, also about the modern struggles of the working-class poor
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in close
showing little difference in the standing of the competitors
a narrow gubernatorial contest, the outcome of which may depend upon a handful of votes
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in parochial
unwilling to grant other people social rights or to accept other viewpoints
tried to convince the narrow members of her family that there are many paths to a successful career that don't involve getting a university degree
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of narrow
Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 17 June 2025
These vehicles use a mixture of surprisingly modern highways and narrower roads.
—Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 17 June 2025
Greg Goldin, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2025
Secret Canyon Trail: The hike through Secret Canyon leads through a deeply forested ravine and some beautiful red rock narrows.
—Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 18 Sep. 2024
Michael Santoli, CNBC, 14 June 2025
Decker update: Search for Travis Decker narrows near Washington mountains
What does Travis Decker look like?
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for narrow
Adjective
Next week, when Bezos and his guests are expected to visit Venice from June 24 to June 26, activists plan to block the city’s narrow streets and canals to make things difficult for the Amazon founder and his jet-setting guests, according to the BBC.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 17 June 2025
These vehicles use a mixture of surprisingly modern highways and narrower roads.
—Kim Hjelmgaard, USA Today, 17 June 2025
Noun
But here, in the narrows of the canyon, where Temescal Creek tickled the roots of sycamores and cooled the air beneath the heavy branches of valley oaks, Young lighted up with the enthusiasm of an amateur botanist.
—Greg Goldin, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2025
Secret Canyon Trail: The hike through Secret Canyon leads through a deeply forested ravine and some beautiful red rock narrows.
—Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 18 Sep. 2024
Verb
The climb had slowed, and the daily ranges narrowed ahead of Friday's air pocket.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 14 June 2025
Decker update: Search for Travis Decker narrows near Washington mountains
What does Travis Decker look like?
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for narrow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for narrow
Adjective
-
The water pressure then causes the vehicle to rise and slide on a thin layer of water between the tires and the road, making the driver lose control.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
18 June 2025
-
There is some thought that Epenesa could be an expendable player via trade ahead of final cuts, but that would leave them fairly thin given that Hoecht is suspended for the first six games and Bosa has a lengthy injury history, and already has one minor injury to his name since joining the Bills.—
Joe Buscaglia,
New York Times,
18 June 2025
Adjective
-
These scopes will be able to resolve features as small as 8 inches (20 centimeters) on the lunar surface from an altitude of 31 miles (50 kilometers), according to Firefly.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
18 June 2025
-
This sauce is also the perfect way to add just a small amount of unsweetened dark chocolate into your day.—
Christina Manian,
Health,
18 June 2025
Adjective
-
There’s a lot riding on this Evita that’s costing north of $6 million for a 12-week limited run.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
20 June 2025
-
The limited engagement is set to run through Jan. 4, 2026.—
Althea Legaspi,
Rolling Stone,
9 June 2025
Adjective
-
Some of the women became her close friends, and one became a longtime girlfriend.—
Hannah Goldfield,
New Yorker,
16 June 2025
-
Atletico Madrid are keeping close tabs on Andy Robertson.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
16 June 2025
Adjective
-
In his quest for a definitive biography of Joyce as a cosmopolitan artist, above the parochial fray, Ellmann downplayed Joyce’s interest in politics.—
Eric Bulson,
The Atlantic,
16 June 2025
-
Rather, Colbert won after knocking, by his count, on 20,000 doors, wearing out several pairs of size 15 shoes and putting parochial concerns, such as wildfire prevention, disaster preparedness and flood control, at the center of his campaign.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Los Angeles Times,
5 June 2025
Noun
-
Here, those louvers help extract heat from the engine bay.—
Lawrence Ulrich,
Robb Report,
25 June 2025
-
As the volunteers were watching the whale, it was joined by a pod of dolphins in the bay, the organization said.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
25 June 2025
Verb
-
Back when China was first ramping up its rare earth industry, wastewater was just discharged into the nearest river, although environmental standards have tightened considerably in recent years.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
17 June 2025
-
In a strategic move, President Donald Trump has ordered that Greenland be transferred from the U.S. European Command to the U.S. Northern Command, tightening America’s grip on Arctic defense at a time of escalating global conflict.—
Jasmine Baehr , Liz Friden,
FOXNews.com,
17 June 2025
Adjective
-
Nolan Traoré, France An intriguing but very slender point guard, the 6-3 teenager should be a first-rounder.—
Tim Reynolds,
Los Angeles Times,
25 June 2025
-
Lively became mostly famous for, well, being Blake Lively: tall, slender, beautiful, and suspiciously perfect — a patron saint for the Instagram age.—
David Mack,
Rolling Stone,
10 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Narrow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/narrow. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share