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
The Gaza war widened this divide and then the Iran war created a sense that the region was being dragged into instability through Israeli-Iranian confrontation.
—
Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 15 May 2026
The statement is one among many hard-hitting aphorisms that ring devastatingly true for the state of our current world, as late-stage capitalism widens the gap between haves and have-nots, creating unsustainable conditions for millions of people.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 15 May 2026
Of course, the film quickly became a conduit for Harari’s own concerns, made all the more resonant once the narrative aperture widens to reveal that its central soul-swap may be only one of many.
—Ben Croll, IndieWire, 15 May 2026
According to Ember, solar-plus-storage in India now costs around half as much as new coal plants, and that gap is widening as solar and battery costs continue falling while coal plants face declining utilization.
—Ingmar Rentzhog, Forbes.com, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for widen
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 15 May 2026
The statement is one among many hard-hitting aphorisms that ring devastatingly true for the state of our current world, as late-stage capitalism widens the gap between haves and have-nots, creating unsustainable conditions for millions of people.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 15 May 2026
Of course, the film quickly became a conduit for Harari’s own concerns, made all the more resonant once the narrative aperture widens to reveal that its central soul-swap may be only one of many.
—Ben Croll, IndieWire, 15 May 2026
According to Ember, solar-plus-storage in India now costs around half as much as new coal plants, and that gap is widening as solar and battery costs continue falling while coal plants face declining utilization.
—Ingmar Rentzhog, Forbes.com, 15 May 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 May. 2026.
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