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

That’s more than double the rate in 2021, just before the Federal Reserve embarked on an aggressive tightening cycle to rein in inflation.

— Jason Ma, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2026
Higher debt-servicing costs can reduce a project’s feasibility by tightening project margins.

— Jill Jones, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of tightening

Verb

Nearly the entire state remains in drought conditions, despite fall rain and the season’s first snows in the high country lessening the severity of the aridity.

— Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 5 Oct. 2026
Going into his fourth season leading the Mets, the pressure isn’t lessening.

— Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of lessening

Verb

Rucker says crews arrived to find flames inside the building, but racks inside were impeding their movement and eventually blocked their exits, leading two firefighters to suffer burns.

— Ashley Grams, CBS News, 12 Oct. 2026
The insects tunnel their way into the trunk, impeding the tree’s water and nutrient supply and killing it within a year.

— Jennifer Oldham, Denver Post, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of impeding

Verb

Satellite connectivity currently commands a premium because of its relatively high cost, limiting its accessibility for some users.

— Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
Roots that held the soil in place have burned and the vicious flames seared the dirt, limiting its ability to absorb water.

— Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of limiting

Verb

Prop 42 would bar retroactive taxes and ban new state taxes on personal property, effectively blocking Prop 40.

— Bilin Lin, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
Or maybe Kosmos 2612 was actively interfering with ICEYE-X36 in some way — messing with its sensors, perhaps, or blocking or intercepting its communications with the ground.

— Mike Wall, Space.com, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of blocking

Verb

And warming temperatures are hindering their ability to perform essential functions.

— Devika Rao, TheWeek, 13 Oct. 2026
Royce Moser, 18, is facing charges including murder, while his mother, 56-year-old Rachel Moser, is facing charges including hindering apprehension of a fugitive, according to court records.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of hindering

Verb

Kyiv sees this as an attempt to pressure it into concessions by hampering its aerial defense and military operations.

— David Hickey, NBC news, 15 Oct. 2026
Virus-carrying midges are hampering deer season in South Dakota, where an outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease has prompted South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks to issue deer license refunds.

— Kris Millgate, Outdoor Life, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of hampering

Verb

Marshall has consistently voted against Senate War Powers Resolutions aimed at halting or restricting military operations in Iran.

— Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 17 Oct. 2026
The episode raised concerns across the technology industry about government officials restricting access to powerful systems.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of restricting

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.

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“Narrowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/narrowing. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of narrowing

verb

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