as in broadened
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.
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Recent Examples of widened
The next morning, Ali and his father widened their search, accompanied by some members of the Civil Defense and other first responders.
—
Rania Abouzeid, New Yorker, 21 May 2026
China surpassed the United States in annual science and engineering doctorates awarded in 2019, and the gap has widened.
—John Drake, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
The Bank of Japan was reported to have intervened in currency markets in late March and early April after the yen weakened past the politically sensitive 160 level, as surging oil import costs widened Japan's current account deficit and stoked fears of a depreciation spiral.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 19 May 2026
The court said in a statement that the investigation was widened to include Zapatero, who was summoned to answer a judge’s questions on June 2.
—ABC News, 19 May 2026
The Gaza war widened this divide and then the Iran war created a sense that the region was being dragged into instability through Israeli-Iranian confrontation.
—Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 15 May 2026
On the roadway, bicycle lanes will be widened from 4 to 6 feet on both sides.
—Megan Vaz, Sun Sentinel, 14 May 2026
Multiple intersections will be expanded and enhanced, chief among them being the one at Naperville Road and Diehl Road, which is to be widened and resurfaced, Travia said.
—Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2026
In Canada, the structure widened.
—Kansas City Star, 14 May 2026
Rania Abouzeid, New Yorker, 21 May 2026
China surpassed the United States in annual science and engineering doctorates awarded in 2019, and the gap has widened.
—John Drake, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
The Bank of Japan was reported to have intervened in currency markets in late March and early April after the yen weakened past the politically sensitive 160 level, as surging oil import costs widened Japan's current account deficit and stoked fears of a depreciation spiral.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 19 May 2026
The court said in a statement that the investigation was widened to include Zapatero, who was summoned to answer a judge’s questions on June 2.
—ABC News, 19 May 2026
The Gaza war widened this divide and then the Iran war created a sense that the region was being dragged into instability through Israeli-Iranian confrontation.
—Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 15 May 2026
On the roadway, bicycle lanes will be widened from 4 to 6 feet on both sides.
—Megan Vaz, Sun Sentinel, 14 May 2026
Multiple intersections will be expanded and enhanced, chief among them being the one at Naperville Road and Diehl Road, which is to be widened and resurfaced, Travia said.
—Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2026
In Canada, the structure widened.
—Kansas City Star, 14 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for widened
Verb
-
Soon after, the call for volunteers was broadened to include employees’ family and friends who had used an accountant, not AI, to prepare their taxes.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
18 May 2026
-
The transition from elite competitor to advocate has broadened his perspective.—
Tim Genske,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
The tweaks to Smugglers Run follow big changes to Galaxy’s Edge, as Disney recently expanded the land’s timeline to feature classic, fan-favorite characters such as Darth Vader, Han, Luke and Leia.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
21 May 2026
-
In his Texas speech, Thomas expanded on that idea.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
21 May 2026
Verb
-
With Boston ruled out just before tip-off due to a lower leg injury, the spotlight on Caitlin Clark intensified.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
-
Moreno, a health director for a labor union, said he was consumed at the time with his job, which suddenly intensified as the COVID-19 pandemic swept the country.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Widened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/widened. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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