1
a
: a woman who has lost her spouse or partner by death and usually has not remarried
c
: a woman whose spouse or partner leaves her alone or ignores her frequently or for long periods to engage in a usually specified activity
a golf widow
a video game widow
2
: an extra hand or part of a hand of cards dealt face down and usually placed at the disposal of the highest bidder
3
: a single usually short last line (as of a paragraph) separated from its related text and appearing at the top of a printed page or column
widowed; widowing; widows
1
: to cause to become a widow or widower
2
obsolete
: to survive as the widow of
3
: to deprive of something greatly valued or needed
Examples of widow in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Leo Barraclough, Variety, 3 Apr. 2024
Disney can also count on votes from some Disney heirs and Lauren Powell Jobs, the widow of Steve Jobs — who co-founded Apple and the animation studio Pixar.
—Bruce Gil, Quartz, 1 Apr. 2024
The women in the sketch were part of a controversial group known as camp followers: wives, widows, runaways and others who marched with the Continental Army.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Mar. 2024
In 1988, Kennedy Sr.’s widow, Ethel, visited Chavez during one of his roughly monthlong protest fasts.
—Benjamin Oreskes, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2024
Laurent de Brunhoff, the French artist and author who popularized a cartoon elephant king who ruled in children’s literature and entertainment for decades, died Friday at his home in Key West, Fla., the Associated Press reported, citing his widow, Phyllis Rose.
—Kelly Kasulis Cho, Washington Post, 24 Mar. 2024
The widow is once again blowing in the wind, her hair flying all over the place.
—Sara C. Hahn, The New Yorker, 19 Mar. 2024
Navalny’s widow Yulia Navalnaya, meanwhile, was pictured out in Berlin on Sunday, greeting supporters who were rallying against Putin.
—Radina Gigova, CNN, 17 Mar. 2024
His widow, Alma Cruz, told KABC-TV Channel 7 that Ramirez had wanted to quit working as a street vendor after having been robbed at gunpoint previously.
—Rachel Uranga, Los Angeles Times, 22 Mar. 2024
TIME, 21 Mar. 2024
At my age, a large portion of my girlfriends are either divorced or widowed.
—Amy Dickinson, Detroit Free Press, 2 Mar. 2024
Social Security benefits are the major source of income for people over 65 and are a significant source of income for disabled and widowed people under 65.
—The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Feb. 2024
My aunt, who was recently widowed, found comfort in living among her family.
—Tanikia Carpenter, Parents, 19 Nov. 2023
But now, the widowed Sophie needs West to feign an engagement with her in order to push her younger (also widowed) sister Alexandra into her own connubial bliss.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 29 Feb. 2024
The national rate of single adults in the U.S. is less than 50%, but the state with the highest ratio of singles is New Mexico, with 57% of adults either divorced, never married, widowed or separated.
—USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2024
Most of those Chauvin helps are women, many of whom are single or widowed.
—Steve Hartman, CBS News, 2 Feb. 2024
The group includes women who are married, divorced and widowed.
—Roxanne Roberts, Washington Post, 16 Jan. 2024
Noun
Maria Elena Holly, widow of Buddy Holly, is an associate producer.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 3 Apr. 2024
Disney can also count on votes from some Disney heirs and Lauren Powell Jobs, the widow of Steve Jobs — who co-founded Apple and the animation studio Pixar.
—Bruce Gil, Quartz, 1 Apr. 2024
The women in the sketch were part of a controversial group known as camp followers: wives, widows, runaways and others who marched with the Continental Army.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Mar. 2024
In 1988, Kennedy Sr.’s widow, Ethel, visited Chavez during one of his roughly monthlong protest fasts.
—Benjamin Oreskes, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2024
Laurent de Brunhoff, the French artist and author who popularized a cartoon elephant king who ruled in children’s literature and entertainment for decades, died Friday at his home in Key West, Fla., the Associated Press reported, citing his widow, Phyllis Rose.
—Kelly Kasulis Cho, Washington Post, 24 Mar. 2024
The widow is once again blowing in the wind, her hair flying all over the place.
—Sara C. Hahn, The New Yorker, 19 Mar. 2024
Navalny’s widow Yulia Navalnaya, meanwhile, was pictured out in Berlin on Sunday, greeting supporters who were rallying against Putin.
—Radina Gigova, CNN, 17 Mar. 2024
His widow, Alma Cruz, told KABC-TV Channel 7 that Ramirez had wanted to quit working as a street vendor after having been robbed at gunpoint previously.
—Rachel Uranga, Los Angeles Times, 22 Mar. 2024
Verb
The Citizens’ Councils targeted poor, Black women who depended on some form of welfare, many of whom were single or widowed with children.
—TIME, 21 Mar. 2024
At my age, a large portion of my girlfriends are either divorced or widowed.
—Amy Dickinson, Detroit Free Press, 2 Mar. 2024
Social Security benefits are the major source of income for people over 65 and are a significant source of income for disabled and widowed people under 65.
—The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Feb. 2024
My aunt, who was recently widowed, found comfort in living among her family.
—Tanikia Carpenter, Parents, 19 Nov. 2023
But now, the widowed Sophie needs West to feign an engagement with her in order to push her younger (also widowed) sister Alexandra into her own connubial bliss.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 29 Feb. 2024
The national rate of single adults in the U.S. is less than 50%, but the state with the highest ratio of singles is New Mexico, with 57% of adults either divorced, never married, widowed or separated.
—USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2024
Most of those Chauvin helps are women, many of whom are single or widowed.
—Steve Hartman, CBS News, 2 Feb. 2024
The group includes women who are married, divorced and widowed.
—Roxanne Roberts, Washington Post, 16 Jan. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'widow.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to widow
Dictionary Entries Near widow
Cite this Entry
“Widow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/widow. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
widow
2 of 2 verb
: to cause to become a widow or widower
widowed by war
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share