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

Although Newsom recently signed legislation tightening eligibility for mental health diversion, Cooper argued the changes do not go far enough.

— Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 13 July 2026
Saying as much, then visibly tightening that process with its haulage partners, is how an embarrassing accident becomes evidence that someone is actually minding the shop.

— Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026

Definition of tightening

Verb

Parts of northern Arizona were without power Saturday as the utility serving the area initiated a safety shut-off in hopes of lessening the wildfire risk.

— Michael R. Sisak, Chicago Tribune, 28 June 2026
Parts of northern Arizona were without power Saturday as the utility serving the area initiated a safety shutoff in hopes of lessening the wildfire risk.

— Ty ONeil, Los Angeles Times, 28 June 2026

Definition of lessening

Verb

These vehicles were blocking and impeding fire operations, and several were non-operational and required tow truck assistance for removal.

— Jeff Nguyen, CBS News, 1 July 2026
Florida’s sanctuary city laws forbid local governments from impeding ICE from doing its job, such as by not sharing information with the federal government.

— Syra Ortiz Blanes, Miami Herald, 26 June 2026

Definition of impeding

Verb

That was the lone shot on target generated in the first half, with both teams limiting opportunities in the final third in a physical and chippy opening 45 minutes.

— Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 July 2026
Stopping him remains the key to limiting Argentina, but doing that is easier said than done.

— The Athletic Soccer Experts, New York Times, 14 July 2026

Definition of limiting

Verb

That sparked concerns across the political spectrum about investors blocking homeownership and driving up rents.

— Ethan Varian, Mercury News, 16 July 2026
The video shows a black pickup blocking the roadway and a man whom investigators identified as Reyes-Isabel approach Quiroz-Mata’s vehicle with a handgun and fire five shots into it, the affidavit states.

— Grant Lancaster, Arkansas Online, 15 July 2026

Definition of blocking

Verb

Thai officials said investigators would examine the ceiling materials and whether any emergency exits were obstructed, potentially hindering evacuation.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 July 2026
Meanwhile, most workers find themselves on the hook to fund more of their own retirement than their parents did and to pay more for their healthcare and insurance coverage, hindering their efforts to save for retirement.

— Jeffrey Anvari-Clark, The Conversation, 10 July 2026

Definition of hindering

Verb

Because the injection must then be sent (or pushed) to each specific target, the scale of the attack is limited, hampering mass exploits that hit the Internet at large.

— Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 8 July 2026
Authorities divided the area into zones as rescue crews, including disaster response teams and sniffer dogs, searched the region for missing despite heavy rain hampering operations, Devamanohar, a local police official, told reporters.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 July 2026

Definition of hampering

Verb

Ortiz allegedly grabbed the woman’s face and neck, threw her to the ground and strangled her, restricting her breathing for about a minute, the prosecutor said in court.

— Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 15 July 2026
The researchers suspect that harvestmen may target strategic regions of the amphibian's body, thereby significantly restricting the frog's movements.

— Jay Kakade July 13, New Atlas, 14 July 2026

Definition of restricting

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“Narrowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/narrowing. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of narrowing

verb

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