WIDENED Synonyms: 45 Similar and Opposite Words

widened

verb

past tense of widen

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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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 widened The ad, which attacks the Democratic gubernatorial candidate and questions her mental health, has widened Republican divisions as Ohio’s governor and Senate races tighten. — Julie Carr Smyth, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026 On the cost of food and groceries, the second-most important issue, the Democratic lead widened to +16 from +7 in the July survey. — Steve Liesman, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026 Default insurance on the company also widened, signaling some misgivings on the company’s plans. — Ellen Dimauro, semafor.com, 22 Oct. 2026 The Miami bakery tussle widened when Salazar visited Vicky Bakery, another Miami chain. — Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2026 The walkway has been widened in certain locations and now includes upgraded lighting, security cameras, crisis phones, new signage and viewing platforms. — Nick Caloway, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026 Earlier this month, French 10-year bond yields jumped to the highest since 2002, and the premium over equivalent German yields widened to the most since the eurozone debt crisis in 2011. — Jason Ma, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026 Another key factor was his image-making, whose aperture widened YSL’s scope beyond Slimane’s brilliant signature subcultural documentarianism to reinstate Yves Saint Laurent as the most quintessentially Parisian modern fashion house of all. — Luke Leitch, Vogue, 9 Oct. 2026 As Islamic State group territory came under growing pressure, that justification widened. — Sara Harmouch, The Conversation, 1 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for widened

Verb

Hermès has broadened the selection of products displayed on its e-commerce platform, including leather goods, to better reflect the range available to customers.

— Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026
Protests that began over underfunded schools and staff shortages have broadened into a movement against soaring living costs, months before France’s presidential election.

— Samuel Petrequin, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of broadened

Verb

But the lead quickly expanded in the second half, thanks to a 15-0 run by Charlotte, which lasted nearly three minutes and was capped off by Allen’s three-pointer.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 25 Oct. 2026
Development began in the 1970s, and the system became operational for military use before civilian access expanded.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of expanded

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widen

widened

widening

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“Widened.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/widened. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of widened

verb

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