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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
The show is set in 1972, when the cars were wide, the engines were big and the seatbelts were mostly decorative. Alexis Soloski, New York Times, 13 May 2025 According to data intelligence firm Morning Consult, DEI is one of the hot-button issues that produces the widest partisan gaps in what Americans want brands to talk about. Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 2 May 2025
Adverb
Often, places didn’t live up to the listings, with professional photos that turned dark into light, small into large, narrow into wide. Joyce Cohen, New York Times, 1 May 2025 Phones raised and eyes wide, people waved and cheered at the marching soldiers. Aniruddha Ghosal, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for wide
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wide
Adjective
  • Guanipa was detained as part of a broader operation that, according to Cabello, has led to the arrest of 38 individuals, including 21 Venezuelans and 17 foreigners.
    Antonio Maria Delgado, Miami Herald, 23 May 2025
  • Following the high-level talks in Geneva, Switzerland, earlier this month, both sides issued a rare joint statement to temporarily lower most tariffs on each other’s goods, while working toward a broader agreement.
    Anniek Bao, CNBC, 23 May 2025
Adjective
  • Right whales are identified by individual markings on their heads and bodies, with extensive photo catalogues managed by the New England Aquarium.
    Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 23 May 2025
  • Courtesy of Dyson Dyson has an extensive catalog of vacuums.
    Brenda Stolyar, Wired News, 22 May 2025
Adverb
  • Looking up height requirements in advance can avoid disappointment for kids who may not be quite tall enough for some rides.
    Eve Chen, USA Today, 23 May 2025
  • This advantage is quite significant in at least two ways.
    Neil Winton, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025
Adjective
  • Starting with the build, the Swift Edge 14 AI measures just 0.65 inch thick and weighs 2.18 pounds.
    Matthew Buzzi, PC Magazine, 16 May 2025
  • At the opposite end of the court, a thick layer of melancholy was present.
    Kelly Iko, New York Times, 16 May 2025
Adjective
  • Nissan on May 13 announced sweeping cuts across the company with plans to lay off another 11,000 employees and close more than a half-dozen plants across the globe.
    Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 14 May 2025
  • More so than Trump's deportations or sweeping government cuts, many now believe this could be it.
    Nik Popli, Time, 13 May 2025
Adverb
  • Providing Only Generic Updates Blasting generic updates with no personalization tanks engagement fast.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 23 May 2025
  • Add an Accelerator Compost starters and accelerators can be added to new or established compost piles to jumpstart composting and help compost break down faster and in a less-smelly way.
    Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 May 2025
Adjective
  • Simone is damaged and buoyant simultaneously, and the young actress shows a deep maturity in the portrayal of the character's complex mental and emotional state.
    Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 23 May 2025
  • But according to recent discoveries made at volcanoes in Hawai’i, trace amounts of some of those coveted metals are seeping up from the planet’s deepest reaches.
    Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 22 May 2025
Adverb
  • My favorite looks, though, were always ones that perfectly encapsulated #MinnieStyle.
    Jamie Allison Sanders, People.com, 18 May 2025
  • Pascaline Chavanne’s costumes, especially Seberg’s wardrobe of minute cardigans and jaunty silk scarves, strike every note perfectly.
    Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 18 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Wide.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wide. Accessed 27 May. 2025.

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