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
Alongside these escalating costs, the gap between the median incomes of working adults and the average retirement income has widened in the DFW.
—
Alison Saldanha, Dallas Morning News, 29 Jan. 2026
Ahead by 11 at halftime and by six after three, Miami widened its lead before the Bulls closed to within 106-100 with just under six minutes left.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 29 Jan. 2026
Al Jaber’s keynote made the same argument, but widened the frame.
—Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
The controversy has since widened to conflict-of-interest concerns over Wexner’s legal counsel.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Interior border enforcement increased under President Bill Clinton in the 1990s with the introduction of the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, which widened the criteria for deportations.
—Kelsey Norman, The Conversation, 23 Jan. 2026
All night, the fog had stubbornly hidden the stars in the dark, impenetrable sky, but now the sliver of light widened little by little into a luminous band, a hazy phosphorescence that slowly spread and took over.
—Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026
As for the back, the rear diffusor has been widened by two centimeters on each side.
—Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 22 Jan. 2026
The Sacramento County Department of Transportation widened the six- to eight-lane section of Watt to accommodate unprotected bike lanes while maintaining three wide general-purpose lanes in each direction plus varying turning lanes and a 45 mph speed limit.
—Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Alison Saldanha, Dallas Morning News, 29 Jan. 2026
Ahead by 11 at halftime and by six after three, Miami widened its lead before the Bulls closed to within 106-100 with just under six minutes left.
—Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 29 Jan. 2026
Al Jaber’s keynote made the same argument, but widened the frame.
—Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
The controversy has since widened to conflict-of-interest concerns over Wexner’s legal counsel.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Interior border enforcement increased under President Bill Clinton in the 1990s with the introduction of the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, which widened the criteria for deportations.
—Kelsey Norman, The Conversation, 23 Jan. 2026
All night, the fog had stubbornly hidden the stars in the dark, impenetrable sky, but now the sliver of light widened little by little into a luminous band, a hazy phosphorescence that slowly spread and took over.
—Literary Hub, 22 Jan. 2026
As for the back, the rear diffusor has been widened by two centimeters on each side.
—Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 22 Jan. 2026
The Sacramento County Department of Transportation widened the six- to eight-lane section of Watt to accommodate unprotected bike lanes while maintaining three wide general-purpose lanes in each direction plus varying turning lanes and a 45 mph speed limit.
—Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 20 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for widened
Verb
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Economic woes had sparked the protests that broadened into challenging the theocracy.—
Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
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But some experts believe these guidelines should be broadened.—
Stacey Colino,
Time,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Global capability centers and captives, particularly in India and other low-cost locations, have expanded rapidly.—
Peter Bendor-Samuel,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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In recent years, the festival has expanded its offerings to attendees, including beers from outside the country, non-alcoholic beers, ciders and even some hard liquors.—
Jesse Sarles,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Pockets of protests erupting across Iran over the past week have intensified pressure on a dysfunctional government struggling to manage a spiraling economic crisis.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
7 Jan. 2026
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The Justice Department has intensified efforts to investigate fraud in the state after a social media video shared by YouTuber Nick Shirley went viral right before New Year's Day.—
Sarah N. Lynch,
CBS News,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Widened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/widened. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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