as in broadening
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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 widening
The juxtapositions of text and image, which strongly suggest the widening distance between mother and daughter, build in emotional and intellectual power over the film’s ninety-minute duration.
—
Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 8 May 2026
Those improvements include widening Clay Street, paying for utilities such as water and sewers, and purchasing a home on the west side of the property.
—Deborah Laverty, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026
Amid the shortage of memory chips, prices and margins for memory makers have been widening, while hyperscalers have bemoaned cost increases for end-user goods and services.
—Tobias Burns, CNBC, 8 May 2026
That shortage points to a widening gap between where opportunity exists and where most people are being encouraged to look.
—Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 8 May 2026
The report also emphasizes that as AI capabilities accelerate, retailers and real estate developers that delay embracing the technology risk widening a gap between consumer expectations and their ability to meet them.
—David Moin, Footwear News, 7 May 2026
The situation has been exacerbated by the widening gap between livable wages and affordable housing in Ohio, Beach said.
—Francie Ebert, NBC news, 7 May 2026
In a lot of Sacramento’s older bungalows, that means widening one or two key doors, not the whole house.
—Amy Kunst, Sacbee.com, 7 May 2026
Washington remains short of clear strategic gains, while a conflict once framed as limited is now dragging much of the world into a widening quagmire – with few, if any, coming out ahead.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 2 May 2026
Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 8 May 2026
Those improvements include widening Clay Street, paying for utilities such as water and sewers, and purchasing a home on the west side of the property.
—Deborah Laverty, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026
Amid the shortage of memory chips, prices and margins for memory makers have been widening, while hyperscalers have bemoaned cost increases for end-user goods and services.
—Tobias Burns, CNBC, 8 May 2026
That shortage points to a widening gap between where opportunity exists and where most people are being encouraged to look.
—Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 8 May 2026
The report also emphasizes that as AI capabilities accelerate, retailers and real estate developers that delay embracing the technology risk widening a gap between consumer expectations and their ability to meet them.
—David Moin, Footwear News, 7 May 2026
The situation has been exacerbated by the widening gap between livable wages and affordable housing in Ohio, Beach said.
—Francie Ebert, NBC news, 7 May 2026
In a lot of Sacramento’s older bungalows, that means widening one or two key doors, not the whole house.
—Amy Kunst, Sacbee.com, 7 May 2026
Washington remains short of clear strategic gains, while a conflict once framed as limited is now dragging much of the world into a widening quagmire – with few, if any, coming out ahead.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 2 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for widening
Verb
-
Several central bankers have argued that the Fed should consider rate hikes, concerned that inflation is broadening even beyond the impact of the Trump administration’s tariffs and the spike in oil prices from the Iran war.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
13 May 2026
-
DoorDash has been broadening beyond restaurant delivery into local commerce, and the Urban Outfitters partnership fits into that strategy.—
Renan Botelho,
Footwear News,
13 May 2026
Verb
-
With revenue-sharing challenges mounting across college athletics — and some schools already cutting sports — expanding the playoff has become a potential financial lifeline.—
Trey Wallace OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
14 May 2026
-
According to Abbott's office, the Texas Department of Public Safety is immediately expanding the Texas Repeat Offender Taskforce to the Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio and Austin metropolitan areas.—
Mateo Rosiles,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Behind the scenes, though, a scramble has been intensifying to hold together a fragile coalition politically and tenuous competition financially.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2026
-
But i-Ready is facing mounting backlash, and the revolt is intensifying as parents question how much time children spend on screens at school.—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC news,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Widening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/widening. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
