Synonyms of widen

widen

verb

as in to broaden

to increase the width, breadth, or scope of

Immediate action to widen the highway is needed to ease the near constant congestion.

The authorities planned to widen their investigation into Ponzi scheme.

Related Words

• broaden
• expand
• intensify
• extend
• strengthen
• enhance
• consolidate
• reinforce
• enlarge
• lengthen
• augment
• elongate
• deepen
• add (to)
• stretch
• enforce
• amplify
• heighten
• sharpen
• swell
• redouble
• maximize
• emphasize
• step up
• accentuate
• point (up)
• magnify
• supplement
• build up
• boost
• beef (up)
• stress
• amp (up)
• restrengthen

Dissimilar Words

• narrow (down)
• reduce
• constrict
• decrease
• diminish
• tone (down)
• weaken
• lessen
• subdue
• let up (on)

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of widen

We are further grieved by continuing violence and instability in the Middle East, including the recent conflict involving Iran and its widening humanitarian consequences. — Killingly-Brooklyn Interfaith Council, Hartford Courant, 9 July 2026

And Western intelligence reports have suggested the Russian leader might seek to widen the conflict by targeting nearby NATO countries. — Ned Temko, Christian Science Monitor, 9 July 2026

To this day, mainstream Democrats are attracted by pragmatic reforms such as the Affordable Care Act—which sought not to replace the entire American health-care system but to reform and widen access to it. — David Brooks, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026

Griffin’s giving around the 2026 tournament has extended to who gets to experience it, echoing efforts elsewhere to widen access to a tournament otherwise defined by record-high prices. — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 8 July 2026