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wide

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adverb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word wide different from other adjectives like it?

The words broad and deep are common synonyms of wide. While all three words mean "having horizontal extent," wide is more common when units of measurement are mentioned, or when applied to unfilled space between limits.

rugs eight feet wide
a wide doorway

In what contexts can broad take the place of wide?

Although the words broad and wide have much in common, broad is preferred when full horizontal extent is considered.

broad shoulders

When is deep a more appropriate choice than wide?

In some situations, the words deep and wide are roughly equivalent. However, deep may indicate horizontal extent away from the observer or from a front or peripheral point.

a deep cupboard
deep woods

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of wide
Adjective
Beaufort's namesake, Beaufort Grocery, and Bahia Beach House & Surf Bar in Atlantic Beach both offer full menus catering to a wide range of tastes. Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 12 Oct. 2025 The dark blue wash complements every autumn shade, from chocolate brown to camel, and the wide-leg cut is both flattering and on-trend. Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 11 Oct. 2025
Adverb
As a result, the triangulation conjecture remained wide open. Kevin Hartnett, Quanta Magazine, 6 Oct. 2025 Busquets filtered a pass behind the Revolution’s back line to his longtime teammate, but Messi’s effort rolled wide of the left post. Franco Panizo, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for wide
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wide
Adjective
  • The deal, latest in a string of investment commitments, underscores OpenAI and the broader AI industry's voracious appetite for computing power as companies race toward developing AI technology that meets or exceeds human intelligence.
    Max A. Cherney, USA Today, 6 Oct. 2025
  • With violent crime rising across the county, Dhillon argued that broader CCW access is not just about constitutional law, but about safety.
    Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The weapons of the Hwasong-11 series are short-range ballistic missiles (SRBM) based on Russia’s Iskander missiles, which have seen extensive use in Moscow’s devastating strikes across Ukraine.
    Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2025
  • Laura Modiano, who heads up OpenAI's startups division in EMEA, drew a comparison between American and European founders based on her extensive work with founders across both regions and rolling out AI features.
    Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 11 Oct. 2025
Adverb
  • Drama aside, Evans said that everyone became quite close as a result of living in the student-like quarters, sharing many cafeteria meals, and being vulnerable in a rather stressful experience, together.
    Shindy Chen, Charlotte Observer, 9 Oct. 2025
  • Resale values on premium EVs are notoriously bad, and with the possible exception of the Rolls-Royce Spectre, nobody has quite cracked the nut on how to build one that could conceivably be considered an heirloom.
    Tim Stevens, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • That thick sole relieves pressure and pain, especially pain associated with conditions like plantar fasciitis.
    Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 8 Oct. 2025
  • The smoke was thick enough to cast its own shadows upon the hill.
    Caity Weaver, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • While there are issues surrounding the advanced tech sweeping entry-level roles, the young digital natives are better prepared than most to adapt skill-wise.
    Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2025
  • This isn’t a diary of an individual life but a window into a sweeping political transformation, through the eyes of one person.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025
Adverb
  • To move faster, engineers need light sources that can send multiple streams through the same fiber at once.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Nivala also says that once consensus is secured, things tend to move faster because everyone is aligned.
    Adam Gale, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Driving through deep water can also negatively affect a vehicle's mechanical and electrical systems.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 11 Oct. 2025
  • Driving through deep water can also damage a vehicle's mechanical and electrical systems.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 11 Oct. 2025
Adverb
  • Once all other explanations had been ruled out—except for a Vitamin D deficiency, our daughter seemed perfectly healthy, and her fracture would heal with time—we were left with a different sort of fear, regarding the care of our children by others.
    Ayşegül Savaş, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2025
  • There’s a chance for Argentina now to put itself on a good economic track if Milei does well in the midterms, but everything has to go perfectly and the administration is essentially looking to keep markets in line until election day, the person said.
    Jason Ma, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Wide.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wide. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.

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