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

And, third, if the public likes outdoor dining (and who doesn’t), widening the sidewalks would be far better than building structures in the street. —Lucius J. Riccio, New York Daily News, 1 Apr. 2026

Gold rose on Thursday as the widening Middle East conflict drove investors towards the safe-haven asset, while a softer dollar also lent support to prices. —Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 31 Mar. 2026

Analysts say the targeting of universities, and Iran’s threats of retaliation against academic institutions abroad, point to a widening conflict and potentially diverging objectives among the parties involved. —Adam Pourahmadi, CNN Money, 31 Mar. 2026

This will widen disparities in healthcare access, health literacy and preventative care. —Dr. Howard A. Selinger, Hartford Courant, 31 Mar. 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