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 construction will include roadway resurfacing, new granite curbs, widened concrete sidewalks, decorative streetlights, traffic signal changes, landscaping, raised crosswalks and site furniture, according to the project’s website.
—
Celia Gruber, Hartford Courant, 29 May 2026
OpenAI’s reputational score was just one point higher among Republicans than Democrats in 2024; today that gap has widened to 12 points.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 28 May 2026
However, following the success of articles on politics, its remit gradually widened.
—Steve Paulussen, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 May 2026
Layers of middle management have disappeared in the name of efficiency, with teams combined, reporting lines widened and managers expected to oversee more people, more projects and more moving parts than ever before.
—Bronwen Sciortino, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
The Justice Department has also recently widened its civil rights scrutiny of the state’s medical schools beyond UCLA.
—Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2026
A lot has changed since that day — the Iran war erupted and widened before a tenuous ceasefire was reached.
—ABC News, 23 May 2026
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
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
Celia Gruber, Hartford Courant, 29 May 2026
OpenAI’s reputational score was just one point higher among Republicans than Democrats in 2024; today that gap has widened to 12 points.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 28 May 2026
However, following the success of articles on politics, its remit gradually widened.
—Steve Paulussen, Encyclopedia Britannica, 28 May 2026
Layers of middle management have disappeared in the name of efficiency, with teams combined, reporting lines widened and managers expected to oversee more people, more projects and more moving parts than ever before.
—Bronwen Sciortino, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026
The Justice Department has also recently widened its civil rights scrutiny of the state’s medical schools beyond UCLA.
—Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2026
A lot has changed since that day — the Iran war erupted and widened before a tenuous ceasefire was reached.
—ABC News, 23 May 2026
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for widened
Verb
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The growing use of facial recognition has broadened concerns about accuracy and bias.—
Vijayan Asari,
The Conversation,
2 June 2026
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India’s Impact Films has broadened its 2026 Cannes acquisition slate to include titles by Hamaguchi Ryusuke, Kore-eda Hirokazu, and Asghar Farhadi, while also stepping into the Indonesian market for the first time.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
1 June 2026
Verb
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On Tuesday, Anthropic expanded the effort to include 150 organizations in more than 15 countries.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
4 June 2026
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The word also figured heavily in the Alien and Sedition Acts, a set of four 18th century laws that restricted citizenship, expanded the president’s authority to detain and deport foreigners, and criminalized dissenting speech.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
3 June 2026
Verb
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Clashes intensified this weekend as police with riot shields and officers on horseback pushed back demonstrators, some of whom tore down barricades, hurled objects and set tires ablaze outside the 1,000-bed facility.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
31 May 2026
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At the same time, recovery from the Palisades and Eaton fires, which destroyed more than 16,000 structures, has further intensified frustrations around rebuilding, insurance costs and the city government’s response to crises.—
Samantha Delouya,
CNN Money,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Widened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/widened. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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