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 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
Naperville Road/North Naper Boulevard at Ridgeland Avenue/Naperville-Wheaton Road is also to be widened and resurfaced.
—Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2026
In Canada, the structure widened.
—Kansas City Star, 14 May 2026
But the disparities widened, particularly in the Midwest and West, where in 2022, more than 80 Black people per million were hospitalized due to heat, as opposed to around 60 white people per million in the South and closer to 40 white people per million in the West.
—Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 13 May 2026
The ratio of Cboe's S&P 500 Constituent Volatility Index VIXEQ to VIX has widened to the 98th percentile as correlations remain low.
—Oliver Renick, CNBC, 12 May 2026
The jelly spread widened from there, especially once brands started dropping the material into existing shoe codes.
—Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 12 May 2026
Wealth inequality has widened in recent years.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 12 May 2026
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
Naperville Road/North Naper Boulevard at Ridgeland Avenue/Naperville-Wheaton Road is also to be widened and resurfaced.
—Carolyn Stein, Chicago Tribune, 14 May 2026
In Canada, the structure widened.
—Kansas City Star, 14 May 2026
But the disparities widened, particularly in the Midwest and West, where in 2022, more than 80 Black people per million were hospitalized due to heat, as opposed to around 60 white people per million in the South and closer to 40 white people per million in the West.
—Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 13 May 2026
The ratio of Cboe's S&P 500 Constituent Volatility Index VIXEQ to VIX has widened to the 98th percentile as correlations remain low.
—Oliver Renick, CNBC, 12 May 2026
The jelly spread widened from there, especially once brands started dropping the material into existing shoe codes.
—Maggie Clancy, Footwear News, 12 May 2026
Wealth inequality has widened in recent years.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN Money, 12 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for widened
Verb
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The dark matter By looking at how the emission lines in the spectrum were broadened by the Doppler effect, Nakajima and his colleagues measured that the gas is swirling around inside the galaxy at roughly 58 kilometers per second, a rather typical value for dwarf galaxies.—
Jacek Krywko,
ArsTechnica,
13 May 2026
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Experience Sioux Falls has broadened its marketing efforts beyond the typical five-state neighboring region and more into the national market to potentially attract new tourists in addition to those who have visited in the past.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
13 May 2026
Verb
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Efforts have picked up in recent years to limit ownership, including in Utah, where its Republican governor, Spencer Cox, signed a bill into law that expanded previous foreign restrictions.—
Gabe Kaminsky,
CBS News,
13 May 2026
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Brazil’s criminal organizations Comando Vermelho and Primeiro Comando da Capital have expanded aggressively across the Amazon over the past decade and now dominate key trafficking corridors linking coca-growing regions in Colombia and Peru to Atlantic ports used to ship cocaine to Europe.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
13 May 2026
Verb
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Several candidates said the case has intensified conversations around ethics and accountability, while also highlighting broader frustrations residents already had with City Hall responsiveness and city services.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
9 May 2026
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Forgoing the traditional show of force in favor of security, the parade took place after intensified Ukrainian strikes deep inside Russian territory, particularly against oil refineries, as the Ukrainian government accuses the Kremlin of continuing attacks on Kyiv and beyond.—
Zahra Ullah,
CNN Money,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Widened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/widened. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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