widened; widening
ˈwīd-niŋ 
ˈwī-dᵊn-iŋ
: to increase the width, scope, or extent of
widen a road
widen an investigation
: to become wide or wider
a widening gap
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
As the investigation into Guthrie's abduction widens its scope, authorities have now increased the reward for public tips on the case to $102,500.
—
Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 19 Feb. 2026
Guards Naomi Panganiban and Natalia Martinez triggered runs at the ends of both halves Wednesday night at Viejas Arena as San Diego State’s women’s team defeated UNLV 80-62 to widen the Aztecs’ lead in the Mountain West Conference race to three games with four games to play.
—Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026
Curiosity widens as the sparkling Sun activates your 9th House of Travel and Exploration, inviting you to stretch your beliefs and seek perspective beyond familiar comfort zones.
—Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 18 Feb. 2026
There’s a widening gap between the haves and the have-nots in the United States, and economists are increasingly sounding the alarm.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for widen
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Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 19 Feb. 2026
Guards Naomi Panganiban and Natalia Martinez triggered runs at the ends of both halves Wednesday night at Viejas Arena as San Diego State’s women’s team defeated UNLV 80-62 to widen the Aztecs’ lead in the Mountain West Conference race to three games with four games to play.
—Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Feb. 2026
Curiosity widens as the sparkling Sun activates your 9th House of Travel and Exploration, inviting you to stretch your beliefs and seek perspective beyond familiar comfort zones.
—Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 18 Feb. 2026
There’s a widening gap between the haves and the have-nots in the United States, and economists are increasingly sounding the alarm.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for widen
Cite this Entry
“Widen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/widen. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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