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
During the Biden administration, the federal government widened subsidies for ACA coverage.
—
Katharina Buchholz, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
The gap between the groups widened from one month to six.
—Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 11 June 2026
At the time, Cipriani had widened his lawsuit to include Shell’s wife, Laura, and tech billionaire Larry Ellison, whose son David Ellison runs Paramount.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
And the gap between the two groups widened from month one to month six.
—Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 11 June 2026
After another quarter, the chasm had widened to 27.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 11 June 2026
Cracks in private credit widened.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 5 June 2026
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
Katharina Buchholz, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026
The gap between the groups widened from one month to six.
—Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 11 June 2026
At the time, Cipriani had widened his lawsuit to include Shell’s wife, Laura, and tech billionaire Larry Ellison, whose son David Ellison runs Paramount.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2026
And the gap between the two groups widened from month one to month six.
—Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 11 June 2026
After another quarter, the chasm had widened to 27.
—Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 11 June 2026
Cracks in private credit widened.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 5 June 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for widened
Verb
-
Ecology remained characteristic of her approach, but Carson now broadened her aims to encompass a mobilization of public opinion equal to the task of addressing the widespread harms of chemical pesticides in everyday life and agricultural ecosystems alike.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 June 2026
-
The case prompted the Prince Act, a Wisconsin law that broadened the state's missing-child alert system to include cases that do not meet the criteria for an Amber Alert, WISN reported.—
Sophia Compton,
FOXNews.com,
8 June 2026
Verb
-
In the race to replace Phil Serna, epidemiologist and former Sacramento mayoral candidate Flo Cofer expanded her sizable lead over rival and Sacramento City Councilmember Eric Guerra compared to Friday’s returns.—
Reeti Malhotra
June 9,
Sacbee.com,
10 June 2026
-
Haiti’s vulnerable ports As Haiti’s armed gangs have expanded and become more powerful, concerns about the security of the country’s seaports have grown.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
10 June 2026
Verb
-
But inconsistencies between location data and statements Brian Hooker made to investigators have intensified scrutiny on the circumstances surrounding her disappearance, a US official familiar with the criminal investigation told CNN.—
Rebekah Riess,
CNN Money,
6 June 2026
-
The United States has also intensified pressure on Iran by enforcing a blockade on Iranian ports, citing Tehran’s threats to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical corridor for global oil and natural gas exports.—
Rena Rowe,
The Washington Examiner,
6 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Widened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/widened. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
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