widen

verb wid·en \ ˈwī-dᵊn \

|Updated on: 7 Aug 2018

Examples: widen in a Sentence

Definition of widen

widened; widening play \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

play \ˈwīd-nər, ˈwī-dᵊn-ər\ noun

See widen defined for English-language learners

See widen defined for kids

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 of widen from the Web

For a country like Tanzania, whose GDP per capita is 879 US dollars—and where approximately 70 percent of the population lives on less than two dollars a day—the financial burden of these new laws threatens to widen the internet-access gap.

— shayera dark, The Verge, "Strict new internet laws in Tanzania are driving bloggers and content creators offline," 6 July 2018
But the entryway opens to a space that widens in both directions, like arms extended for a hug.

— andrew cotto, New York Times, "Old School Italian in Queens: Red Sauce, Yes; Cellphones, No," 3 July 2018
The mother and daughter had been seeking asylum under an avenue that widened dramatically after a precedent-setting ruling in 2014 by the Board of Immigration Appeals.

— rob kuznia, Washington Post, "Fleeing domestic violence in El Salvador, mother’s asylum quest in U.S. is complex," 1 July 2018
There was something of Britten in the vocal writing, a quality that widens the potential connotations of the words through the music, but not in an obvious way.

— peter dobrin, Philly.com, "The Crossing choir premieres vivid new Kile Smith work," 1 July 2018
During that time, salaries are up 9 percent, widening the gap between salaries and home prices.

— bill torpy, ajc, "Torpy at Large: ‘Homes from the $500s!’ So, where do regular folks go?," 20 June 2018
Fashion activists have increasingly been calling for better wages and working conditions for the people who make our clothes, especially as fast fashion continues widen the gap between production and consumption.

— sarah spellings, The Cut, "Wouldn’t You Pay an Extra 20 Cents for an Ethically Made Shirt?," 19 June 2018
The sun sank low, filling the sky with streaks of red, purple, and orange, and a few cows meandered across the trail, which followed a creek through a sliver of valley that widens abruptly into a vast alpine basin.

— The Atlantic, "Is Social Media Luring Hikers Into 'Death Gully'?," 17 May 2018
San Diego is changing a policy that widens the gap in financial resources between library branches in rich and poor neighborhoods.

— david garrick, sandiegouniontribune.com, "New policy would ease unequal distribution of library resources in San Diego," 1 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'widen.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of widen

1566

in the meaning defined at transitive sense

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WIDEN Defined for English Language Learners

widen

verb

Definition of widen for English Language Learners

: to make (something) wide or wider
: to become wide or wider

WIDEN Defined for Kids

widen

verb wid·en \ ˈwī-dᵊn \

Definition of widen for Students

widened; widening

: to make or become wide or wider

The road is being widened.

Learn More about widen

See words that rhyme with widen Spanish Central: Translation of widen Nglish: Translation of widen for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of widen for Arabic speakers

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widen

Definition of widen

widener

Examples of widen in a Sentence

Recent Examples of widen from the Web

First Known Use of widen

WIDEN Defined for English Language Learners

widen

Definition of widen for English Language Learners

WIDEN Defined for Kids

widen

Definition of widen for Students

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widener

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First Known Use of widen

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