broaden

verb

broad·​en ˈbrȯ-dᵊn 

broadened; broadening ˈbrȯd-niŋ 

ˈbrȯ-dᵊn-iŋ

transitive verb

: to make broader

intransitive verb

: to become broad

Examples of broaden in a Sentence

They need to broaden their understanding of other cultures.

The police have broadened the scope of the investigation.

Her smile broadened when I told her the good news.

The investigation has broadened to include the mayor's staff.

His interests broadened to include art and music, not just sports.

Recent Examples on the Web

The distributor will platform a qualifying run and broaden in January. — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026

One and billing platform Orb, could broaden its offering further. — Hugh Leask, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026

Average ticket prices fell for a second straight year, a trend Maoyan credited with broadening access and drawing more moviegoers into theaters. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026

Mercosur and Canada are targeting a free trade agreement by the end of 2026, which could further strengthen Brazil’s competitiveness and broaden its opportunities in North America. — Sj Studio, Footwear News, 2 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1864, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Phrases Containing broaden

• broaden one's horizons/mind

Rhymes for broaden

• codon
• sodden
• trodden
• woden
• anticodon
• downtrodden
• gliadin
• untrodden
• prekindergarten

Kids Definition

broaden

verb

broad·​en ˈbrȯd-ᵊn 

broadened; broadening ˈbrȯd-niŋ 

-ᵊn-iŋ

: to make or become broad or broader

broaden your horizons