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wide

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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
Other litigation encompasses a wide range of issues, including biometric privacy violations, pig-butchering scams, and account lockouts. Jennifer Jolly, USA Today, 18 June 2025 Designers are drawn to the Carson fabric by Cone Denim for its wide range of uses. Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 18 June 2025
Adverb
The case broke wide open when Roger and Monica's son Nathan, then 24, was called to testify before a grand jury. Doc Louallen, ABC News, 6 June 2025 The Phoenician Scheme’s studio, Focus Features, generally has a month window between the time its films open wide in theaters and arrive on PVOD. Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for wide
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wide
Adjective
  • But states, immigrants and rights groups that have sued to block the executive order have accused the administration of trying to unsettle the broader understanding of birthright citizenship that has been accepted since the amendment's adoption.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 28 June 2025
  • Last year, the court said formers presidents have broad immunity from prosecution, a decision that helped Trump avoid being tried for trying to overturn the 2020 election.
    Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 28 June 2025
Adjective
  • Despite an extensive search by the sheriff’s office using air assets, ground searchers and rope teams, Brinkmeyer was not found and a decision was made to end search efforts.
    David Chiu, People.com, 27 June 2025
  • This propulsive narrative is buttressed by extensive research documented in voluminous footnotes.
    Book Marks June 27, Literary Hub, 27 June 2025
Adverb
  • The prospect of trying to cut open a stubborn 5-4-1 block in the Orlando heat could have become torturous quite quickly.
    Liam Tharme, New York Times, 28 June 2025
  • Though quite different in tone and style, the Fast and Furious movies owe a lot to this bubbly cult classic. 36.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 June 2025
Adjective
  • Simply lather a thick coating of petroleum jelly onto the scratch.
    Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 21 June 2025
  • As thick clouds billowed out of Eyjafjallajökull, the skies over the North Atlantic — one of the world’s busiest aviation routes — fell silent, with air traffic dropping to levels that wouldn’t be seen again until the Covid pandemic a decade later.
    Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 21 June 2025
Adjective
  • While the challenges of transformation may feel daunting, supporting your people through change doesn’t always require sweeping initiatives or expensive programs.
    Rahul Karan Sharma, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
  • Some of those projects were also sweeping, to the point of quixotic -- even for the deepest-pocketed entrepreneur.
    Sasha Pezenik, ABC News, 18 June 2025
Adverb
  • The larger the gaps, the faster the sucker will lose its grip.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 28 June 2025
  • But this woody vine can escape the arbor and head up a tree faster than a squirrel with a dachshund on its trail.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 28 June 2025
Adjective
  • What people have not always had is either the awareness or deep enough pockets, which means FIFA should reduce prices and fill these stadiums.
    The Athletic Staff, New York Times, 28 June 2025
  • Many of those affected are still caught in a holding pattern, trying to figure out how to receive their passports, while others have conflicting emotions as the policy's impact went far deeper than just not having a passport.
    Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 27 June 2025
Adverb
  • This adaptation aligns perfectly with our mission to bring underrepresented perspectives to the screen through bold, engaging, and entertaining stories.
    Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 23 June 2025
  • Not a superstar but, like Happ in LF, perfectly sufficient and acceptable at first.
    Sahadev Sharma, New York Times, 22 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Wide.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wide. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.

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