widen

verb

wid·​en ˈwī-dᵊn How to pronounce widen (audio)
widened; widening ˈwīd-niŋ How to pronounce widen (audio)
ˈwī-dᵊn-iŋ
Synonyms of widen

transitive verb

: to increase the width, scope, or extent of
widen a road
widen an investigation

intransitive verb

: to become wide or wider
a widening gap
widener
ˈwīd-nər How to pronounce widen (audio)
ˈwī-dᵊn-ər
noun

Examples of widen in a Sentence

The city is going to widen the road. They plan to widen the investigation. Her eyes widened in surprise. They went swimming at a spot where the river widens. The scope of the investigation has widened.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Now Delvaux is widening the circle, installing Op de Beeck artworks at its Fifth Avenue flagship in New York, though without great fanfare. — Miles Socha, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026 Either way, that would widen the deficit and blow past the government's 5% GDP target. — Hugh Leask, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026 By August, Yemen had become a widening front in the Iran war. — ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026 Fighting autocracy and inequality The Ford Foundation frames its new plan as its answer to rising autocracy, widening inequality, and fading public trust. — Sydney Lake, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for widen

Word History

First Known Use

1566, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of widen was in 1566

Rhymes for widen

See All Rhymes for widen

Browse Nearby Words

wide-mouthed
widen
widener
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Widen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/widen. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

widen

verb
wid·​en ˈwīd-ᵊn How to pronounce widen (audio)
widened; widening ˈwīd-niŋ How to pronounce widen (audio)
-ᵊn-iŋ
: to make or become wide or wider : broaden

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