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 tang of the sauce was eye-widening and immediate, crackling with the bright, citrusy charge of tomatillos and serrano chiles. — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026

Asia’s emerging economies alone face a structural supply gap that Shell estimates at roughly 300 MTPA already in 2025 and growing to around 400 MTPA by 2030 - continuing to widen through mid-century. — David Blackmon, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026

But the thing one craves in good fiction is the eye-widening prompt to see things differently. — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 July 2026

The war has widened a behind-the-scenes rift between Saudi Arabia and Washington, the WSJ reports separately. — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 1 July 2026

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