wide 1 of 2

Definition of widenext

wide

2 of 2

adverb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word wide different from other adjectives like it?

The words broad and deep are common synonyms of wide. While all three words mean "having horizontal extent," wide is more common when units of measurement are mentioned, or when applied to unfilled space between limits.

rugs eight feet wide
a wide doorway

In what contexts can broad take the place of wide?

Although the words broad and wide have much in common, broad is preferred when full horizontal extent is considered.

broad shoulders

When is deep a more appropriate choice than wide?

In some situations, the words deep and wide are roughly equivalent. However, deep may indicate horizontal extent away from the observer or from a front or peripheral point.

a deep cupboard
deep woods

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 wide
Adjective
Hormonal shifts, sleep deprivation, and postpartum stress can all affect the skin, leading to a wide range of changes. Alex Vance, Parents, 29 Jan. 2026 But wide expanses of undeveloped land offer developers the chance to build new subdivisions — prime real estate for new home buyers. Alexandra Glorioso, Miami Herald, 29 Jan. 2026
Adverb
Forecasters are warning that an Arctic air mass will cause temperatures to plummet across the eastern half of the country, developing a wide-reaching winter storm that is expected to start later in the week and stretch over the weekend. Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 22 Jan. 2026 Pregnant women appear to be an exception to the wide-reaching ankle monitor policy, according to the suit, but still have to wear tracking devices on their wrists. Ryan Oehrli, Charlotte Observer, 21 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for wide
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wide
Adjective
  • The project also reflects Beijing’s broader effort to anchor long-term energy security with low-carbon baseload power.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 28 Jan. 2026
  • That last-minute development is reviving debate about the extent of state support for Vanke, one of the last major developers to have avoided an outright default after a broader property market slump sparked record debt failures in recent years.
    Bloomberg News, Bloomberg, 28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Palisades Charter High School will return to its main seaside campus Tuesday morning, more than one year after the deadly Palisades fire destroyed nearly 40% of the school and forced students and faculty into temporary classrooms during extensive reconstruction and environmental remediation.
    Michelle Edgar, Daily News, 24 Jan. 2026
  • The Nevada County Arts Council does an extensive survey to track the creative economy locally.
    Kayla Moeller, CBS News, 23 Jan. 2026
Adverb
  • His energy and passion for the subject are — like his involvement in it — quite surprising.
    Tim Spiers, New York Times, 28 Jan. 2026
  • The dog was still sitting quite motionless, surveying the park.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • What remains, the thick, black, and dense oil, required special techniques to be brought to the surface.
    Scott Montgomery, Forbes.com, 25 Jan. 2026
  • As a Boston native, Stone’s accent is thicker than chowdah, bless her, with a laugh that lilts like a fly ball onto Lansdowne Street.
    Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 25 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Theo could slide from being engaged in an activity to overwhelmed in an instant — sweeping crayons off tables or having severe tantrums that sometimes required teachers to guide classmates out of the room.
    Mayo Clinic News Network, Boston Herald, 25 Jan. 2026
  • Planned in the sweeping open pasturelands of rural Colusa County, near the town of Maxwell, if completed Sites would be the largest new reservoir built in California since 1979, when the federal government opened New Melones Lake in the Sierra Foothills between Sonora and Angels Camp.
    Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 24 Jan. 2026
Adverb
  • Google is rolling out major updates to Gemini in Chrome, turning the browser into an AI-powered assistant designed to help users multitask, browse faster, and complete complex online tasks with less effort.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 29 Jan. 2026
  • That helped end the war faster.
    Fiction Non Fiction, Literary Hub, 29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • But economists appeared skeptical about the effectiveness of Beijing’s plans to boost services spending, cautioning that the plan’s success hinges on deeper reforms to raise household income and strengthen social welfare.
    Anniek Bao, CNBC, 30 Jan. 2026
  • The influential investor has the respect of Wall Street and deep knowledge of complex financial markets.
    Matt Egan, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
Adverb
  • So far, this seems perfectly fine.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026
  • Betzaida Sanchez, shopping with her friend Araceli Herrera, both from Kansas City, Kansas, was thrilled to find a perfectly fitting pair of burgundy thigh-high suede boots for just $8.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 23 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Wide.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wide. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.

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