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

China’s surplus with the European Union widened 24% in the first half, according to Larry Hu, chief China economist at Macquarie, driven by machinery and vehicle shipments. — Anniek Bao,evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 15 July 2026

Trump signed in May 2026 targeting those responsible for repression in Cuba, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has steadily widened the sanctions list to target the government’s main sources of revenue. — Nora Gamez Torres, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026

Hu, also the Communist Party chief of his bureau, is the highest-ranking official to be caught up in in a widening probe of the province's coal mining sector, according to Caixin, a Chinese business publication. — ABC News, 14 July 2026

Reports from McKinsey and other research firms describe a widening gap between higher-income shoppers, who are still willing to spend on quality and convenience, and middle- and lower-income shoppers, who are cutting back and hunting for deals. — Arthur Zackiewicz, Footwear News, 14 July 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