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

As the region’s megadrought continues, roaming mammals, like black bears and mountain lions, may start to occupy larger ranges, widening their territory in the search for water and other resources. —John Leos, AZCentral.com, 3 Sep. 2025

Capital markets must now price in whether entire sectors and geographies will remain financeable as protection gaps widen and climate risk is embedded into collateral frameworks. —Felicia Jackson, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025

And over time, the generational wealth gap has only widened. —Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2025

This is mainly a function of its lengthening and widening by three inches and one inch, respectively, over its predecessor. —Brett Berk, Robb Report, 3 Sep. 2025

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