NARROWING Synonyms: 30 Similar and Opposite Words

narrowing

verb

present participle of narrow

as in tightening

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for narrowing

Verb

The trailer starts in the familiar territory of family and aspiration before gradually tightening its grip.

— Sophie Miller, Rolling Stone, 10 Aug. 2026
His view on rates runs against market pricing that has reflected some risk the Fed could resume tightening amid lingering inflation concerns.

— Yun Li, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of tightening

Verb

Rain chances While there’s a chance for a fourth heat advisory Saturday the likelihood is lessening given rain is in the forecast.

— Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 31 July 2026
To push back, Julien Pouille, who leads the climate and health strategic team and is lead author of the report, argues that lessening reliance on petrochemical products would help mitigate rising medicine costs and improve the climate.

— Ed Silverman, STAT, 30 July 2026

Definition of lessening

Verb

Yachua Mauricio Flores, 23, of Lincoln Heights pleaded guilty in late April to one count of obstructing, impeding and interfering with law enforcement officers during civil disorder, the Department of Justice said in a news release.

— Seamus Bozeman, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Benedict had a prior arrest on a charge of assault on a family or household member by impeding breath or circulation in 2023 in Collin County.

— Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 July 2026

Definition of impeding

Verb

That could make the foldable iPhone a particularly niche product, limiting its sales — a fact that may limit upside for Apple stock.

— Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2026
British Columbia Wildfire Service spokesperson Nicole Bonnett said the smoke lingering over the fire has reduced visibility, limiting the use of air tankers and water-skimming aircraft.

— ABC News, ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of limiting

Verb

The Besselian Elements team has added terrain shadows at totality time, but also a way of recognizing that the clouds blocking an eclipse may not actually be above the observer.

— Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Under the new campaign, vehicles that present a traffic hazard, such as blocking traffic lanes, walkways, fire hydrants, or driveways will be removed and impounded.

— Julie Sharp, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of blocking

Verb

He was charged with hindering apprehension, obstruction of justice and tampering with evidence for allegedly helping Azzubair Outen-Fleming leave the area, according to the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office.

— Joe Holden, CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026
Second, reactive homophily causes leaders to avoid diverse interactions due to fear, hindering genuine allyship.

— Julie Kratz, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of hindering

Verb

Delays connecting new power plants to the grid are hampering progress.

— Laurent Belsie, Christian Science Monitor, 4 Aug. 2026
Toub said the only scenario in which a rookie wouldn’t participate in special teams is because of an injury — such as the shoulder issue that’s currently hampering the Chiefs’ first-round draft pick, cornerback Mansoor Delane.

— Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 1 Aug. 2026

Definition of hampering

Verb

Meanwhile, most of the industry's leading players contend that restricting use of the models would be to our own detriment and would place too much power in the hands of too few companies.

— Jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 12 Aug. 2026
The United States should expect Beijing to continue to wield its agriculture sector for geopolitical influence, whether through curtailing imports of food, restricting exports of select commodities, or both.

— Caitlin Welsh, Foreign Affairs, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of restricting

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“Narrowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/narrowing. Accessed 14 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of narrowing

verb

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