1
as in narrow
unwilling to grant other people social rights or to accept other viewpoints
it took a while for some of the more narrow-minded members of management to be persuaded to modernize the dress code
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in parochial
not broad or open in views or opinions
narrow-minded people who instinctively feared and shunned those from different cultures
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in bigotry
stubborn or intolerant adherence to one's opinions or prejudices
the narrow-mindedness of some people prevents them from seeing that not all changes are for the worse
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of narrow-minded
Harper’s Magazine, Harpers Magazine, 16 July 2025
That is something that has always struck me as strange and narrow-minded.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 June 2025
The inherent orthodoxy of his premise excluded all other alternatives to narrow-minded rationalism and its ethical constraints.
—Jonathon Keats, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Of the trio, Bernadette was written as the strictest rule-follower — possibly even the most narrow-minded.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2025
Some people associate a frugal spender with a narrow-minded person who is a tightwad, a cheapskate, a penny-pincher, and worse of all an outright scrooge.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 18 Jan. 2025
People are going to take things and run with them and be narrow-minded or whatever or take something out of context.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 19 Dec. 2024
Instead of articulating a compelling vision that could spark a broad-minded counterpunch to narrow-minded populism, Newsom has taken an oddly defeatist course in his first podcasts.
—Steven Greenhut, Orange County Register, 16 Mar. 2025
Gazing out onto Prince William Sound with its stunning scenery had this narrow-minded city-and-car guy bitten by the cruise bug.
—David Dickstein, Orange County Register, 5 Feb. 2025
Adjective
Its opposite—illiberal—means stingy, narrow-minded, intolerant, provincial, unenlightened, and using government to insure the flourishing of only the few.
—Harper’s Magazine, Harpers Magazine, 16 July 2025
That is something that has always struck me as strange and narrow-minded.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 June 2025
The inherent orthodoxy of his premise excluded all other alternatives to narrow-minded rationalism and its ethical constraints.
—Jonathon Keats, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025
Of the trio, Bernadette was written as the strictest rule-follower — possibly even the most narrow-minded.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2025
Some people associate a frugal spender with a narrow-minded person who is a tightwad, a cheapskate, a penny-pincher, and worse of all an outright scrooge.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 18 Jan. 2025
People are going to take things and run with them and be narrow-minded or whatever or take something out of context.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 19 Dec. 2024
Instead of articulating a compelling vision that could spark a broad-minded counterpunch to narrow-minded populism, Newsom has taken an oddly defeatist course in his first podcasts.
—Steven Greenhut, Orange County Register, 16 Mar. 2025
Gazing out onto Prince William Sound with its stunning scenery had this narrow-minded city-and-car guy bitten by the cruise bug.
—David Dickstein, Orange County Register, 5 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for narrow-minded
Adjective
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Along the Great Lakes, rip currents are strong, narrow channels of fast-moving water — moving at speeds up to eight feet per second, according to the National Ocean Service.—
Sarah Moore,
Freep.com,
29 Aug. 2025
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The United Auto Workers claimed a narrow, contested victory in a union election at the BlueOval SK Battery Park, in what would be a historic outcome for organized labor in Kentucky's budding battery industry.—
Olivia Evans,
The Courier-Journal,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Illinois Republicans have routinely seized on Pritzker’s presidential aspirations, accusing him of putting his political ambitions ahead of the more parochial concerns of the state’s voters.—
Rick Pearson,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Aug. 2025
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South suburban committee members, meanwhile, showed parochial loyalty to Kelly.—
Rick Pearson,
Chicago Tribune,
19 July 2025
Noun
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The letter demanded Sequoia denounce Maguire’s comments and investigate his conduct, implement a zero-tolerance policy on religious bigotry and issue an apology to Mamdani and the Muslim tech founder community.—
Conor Murray,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
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According to this lie, if anyone protests Israel's indiscriminate response to Hamas fighters within the general population, that must be because of the protester's antisemitic bigotries.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 June 2025
Adjective
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In 2016, Trump, while running for President, was also suing a restaurateur for cutting ties over his bigoted comments about Mexican immigrants.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
11 Aug. 2025
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Anti-Islamophobia advocates called the bigoted attacks typical of what American Muslims in public life have come to expect.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
26 June 2025
Adjective
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Taking place in small and large cities in nearly every state, the events are designed to build on the momentum of other large-scale protests including No Kings Day in June and Good Trouble Lives On in July.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
30 Aug. 2025
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Researchers commonly use fruit flies for medical research because the insects have remarkably similar genetic codes to humans, though smaller and more basic.—
Austin Corona,
AZCentral.com,
30 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Regulatory action has been particularly noteworthy in the areas of data governance, cybersecurity and reporting, reflecting regulators’ growing intolerance for control failures, lapses in digital risk management and procedural missteps across sectors.—
Nosa Omoigui,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
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The kit tests for over 120 allergens, plus gives you unique insights into the kinds of foods to avoid and introduce based on intolerances.—
Jessie Quinn,
USA Today,
27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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And though the two countries have lowered levies on each other from punishing highs earlier this year, the current levels are nevertheless having consequences, with China importing almost no energy from the US last month while a powerhouse provincial economy is in the doldrums.—
Prashant Rao,
semafor.com,
29 Aug. 2025
-
Canadian governments—federal, provincial, municipal—of course want to stop the violence.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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How petty and pathetic and thin skinned could this administration get?—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
20 Aug. 2025
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As Virginia's next Governor, Abigail will continue to put petty political games aside, put Virginia first, and stand up to the chaos in Washington to deliver for the Commonwealth — because that's the leadership Virginians deserve.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Narrow-minded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/narrow-minded. Accessed 4 Sep. 2025.
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