wide 1 of 2

Definition of widenext

wide

2 of 2

adverb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word wide different from other adjectives like it?

The words broad and deep are common synonyms of wide. While all three words mean "having horizontal extent," wide is more common when units of measurement are mentioned, or when applied to unfilled space between limits.

rugs eight feet wide
a wide doorway

In what contexts can broad take the place of wide?

Although the words broad and wide have much in common, broad is preferred when full horizontal extent is considered.

broad shoulders

When is deep a more appropriate choice than wide?

In some situations, the words deep and wide are roughly equivalent. However, deep may indicate horizontal extent away from the observer or from a front or peripheral point.

a deep cupboard
deep woods

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wide
Adjective
That improvement allows the lidar system to scan a wider field of view while maintaining low-noise performance. Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 7 May 2026 Not one blister made its way onto my feet, and my toes felt free to move around even with the shoe’s regular versus wide fit. Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 7 May 2026
Adverb
White oak was used as a unifying element, with the wide-plank floorboards and kitchen cabinetry. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 8 May 2026 Their hounding defense and Johnson’s decision to aggressively trap Anthony Edwards blew the game wide open, as the Spurs let the Wolves take open 3s, and Minnesota missed almost all of them. Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 7 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for wide
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wide
Adjective
  • The race came amid a broader power struggle between the two sides of City Hall early in both Mamdani and Menin’s leadership, but the election will also have a more immediate impact.
    Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 29 Apr. 2026
  • The legislation passed with broad bipartisan support in the Senate, but some Republicans rejected the bill, opposing earmarking millions more to maintain the fortified Capitol and equip it with the staff necessary to keep the screenings going.
    Caroline Cummings, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Magyar granted the filmmakers, a husband-and-wife team named Tamás Yvan Topolánszky and Claudia Sümeghy, extensive access to his campaign.
    Andrew Marantz, New Yorker, 9 May 2026
  • One apartment, which had extensive damage, had an open door, while its neighbor closed their front door.
    Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 8 May 2026
Adverb
  • However, the day did not go quite according to plan for Dale Coyne Racing's Romain Grosjean, and that was all thanks to an unfortunate run-in — in the most literal sense imaginable — with a bird.
    Matt Reigle OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Apr. 2026
  • General Daily Insight for April 29, 2026 Tension shows up today when timing, tone, or expectations don’t quite match.
    Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • The slain hikers were among 20 who set out to ascend the 1,355-meter (4,445-foot) volcano in defiance of safety restrictions and became stranded when Dukono erupted early Friday, spewing a thick ash column that rose about 10 kilometers (6 miles) into the air.
    ABC News, ABC News, 9 May 2026
  • The dead were among 20 hikers who set out to ascend the 4,445-foot volcano in defiance of safety restrictions and became stranded when Dukono erupted early Friday, spewing a thick ash column that rose about 6 miles into the air.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2026
Adjective
  • Processing a tragedy The question of how to process, or what to make of, a sweeping tragedy lingers for the people and communities still living with the memories of the crash.
    Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 9 May 2026
  • Deep in Mesoamerica’s largest rainforest stands a bare concrete house with a sweeping view and dark history.
    Anna Lello-Smith, New York Daily News, 9 May 2026
Adverb
  • Dabur Ltd stall, an Indian multinational consumer goods company, manufactures Ayurvedic products as well as other fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), is seen during the exhibition.
    Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 7 May 2026
  • Later, the Moon squares Mars in Aries, which can create pressure to move faster than necessary.
    Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 7 May 2026
Adjective
  • Decades of local service as mayor and county supervisor have given me a deep understanding of local, state and federal issues.
    Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 May 2026
  • In Russia, indulging in such conspiracies is often less an exercise in political prediction than an expression of deeper anxieties that can be otherwise hard to express.
    Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 8 May 2026
Adverb
  • To have a rocket launch with astronauts on board go perfectly well is even more amazing.
    Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 8 May 2026
  • In one study, 64 percent of the time, the mongooses managed it perfectly.
    Big Think, Big Think, 8 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Wide.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wide. Accessed 12 May. 2026.

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