widen

verb

wid·en | \ ˈwī-dᵊn

How to pronounce widen (audio)

\

widened; widening\ ˈwīd-niŋ

How to pronounce widen (audio)

, ˈwī-dᵊn-iŋ \

Definition of widen

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

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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 It’s the latest effort to widen the vaccination campaign. — Marc Bona, cleveland, "Bars cited, Playhouse Square sets show, some events back on, vaccine news, more - coronavirus timeline March 13-19," 20 Mar. 2021 Biden’s decision to attack in Syria did not appear to signal an intention to widen U.S. military involvement in the region but rather to demonstrate a will to defend U.S. troops in Iraq. — Lolita C. Baldor And Robert Burns, chicagotribune.com, "US launches airstrikes in Syria, targets facilities used by Iran-backed militia," 26 Feb. 2021 Biden’s decision to attack in Syria did not appear to signal an intention to widen U.S. military involvement in the region but rather to demonstrate a will to defend U.S. troops in Iraq. — Time, "President Biden Orders Missile Strike in Syria, Killing 1, Following Deadly Attack on Base in Iraq," 26 Feb. 2021 Biden's decision to attack in Syria did not appear to signal an intention to widen U.S. military involvement in the region but rather to demonstrate a will to defend U.S. troops in Iraq and send a message to Iran. — Lolita C. Baldor, Star Tribune, "Biden: Strikes in Syria sent warning to Iran to 'be careful'," 26 Feb. 2021 Biden's decision to attack in Syria did not appear to signal an intention to widen U.S. military involvement in the region but rather to demonstrate a will to defend U.S. troops in Iraq. — Lita Nadebah Beck, USA TODAY, "US bombs facilities in Syria used by Iran-backed militia," 26 Feb. 2021 For Stowers, the museum is as much an opportunity to honor Hogg as a chance to widen public discourse about graffiti. — Washington Post, "A new museum celebrates D.C.’s graffiti artists, past and present," 30 Sep. 2020 Monday's announcement was another high-profile move by NASCAR to widen its appeal beyond the sport's traditional southern base. — NBC News, "Michael Jordan buys spot to form NASCAR team, hires Bubba Wallace," 22 Sep. 2020 Planners would widen the station’s three north-south concourses and extend them south toward 31st Street. — Paul Berger, WSJ, "More Light for New York Penn Station," 13 Mar. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'widen.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near widen

widely believed

widely distributed

wide of the mark

Statistics for widen

Last Updated

7 Apr 2021

Cite this Entry

“Widen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/widen. Accessed 13 Apr. 2021.

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More Definitions for widen

widen

verb

English Language Learners Definition of widen

: to make (something) wide or wider

: to become wide or wider

See the full definition for widen in the English Language Learners Dictionary

widen

verb

wid·en | \ ˈwī-dᵊn

\

widened; widening

Kids Definition of widen

: to make or become wide or wider The road is being widened.

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