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
Hong Kong/Beijing — Two of China’s most popular gay-dating apps have disappeared from app stores in the country, reinforcing fears of a widening crackdown on LGBTQ+ groups and online content.
—
Steven Jiang, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2025
In Butler’s neo-feudal vision, states and cities erect strict borders to deter migrants, the gap between rich and poor has widened, and massive wildfires in Southern California drive the state’s decline.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 10 Nov. 2025
Worse, slanting political lines so that one party or the other is guaranteed victory only widens the gulf that has helped turn Washington’s into its current slough of dysfunction.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2025
But the production of new types of slop widens the on‑ramps, allowing more people to participate—just as the Internet and social media birthed bunk but also new kinds of creators.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 8 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for widen
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Steven Jiang, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2025
In Butler’s neo-feudal vision, states and cities erect strict borders to deter migrants, the gap between rich and poor has widened, and massive wildfires in Southern California drive the state’s decline.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 10 Nov. 2025
Worse, slanting political lines so that one party or the other is guaranteed victory only widens the gulf that has helped turn Washington’s into its current slough of dysfunction.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2025
But the production of new types of slop widens the on‑ramps, allowing more people to participate—just as the Internet and social media birthed bunk but also new kinds of creators.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 8 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for widen
Cite this Entry
“Widen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/widen. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.
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