widening

verb

present participle of widen
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.

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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 But the thing one craves in good fiction is the eye-widening prompt to see things differently. — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 July 2026 Gold rose on Thursday as the widening Middle East conflict drove investors towards the safe-haven asset, while a softer dollar also lent support to prices. — Lim Hui Jie,lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 3 July 2026 The aftermath has left medics worried that the fallout could pave the way for a widening medical crisis of untreated injuries and infectious diseases in a healthcare system already on the brink. — Regina Garcia Cano, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026 Oil prices, which skyrocketed for the first few months of the US-Israeli war with Iran, are now coming back down, closing a window of opportunity for Russia to use higher profits on its exports to close its widening budget deficit. — Clare Sebastian, CNN Money, 6 July 2026 Without significant reform measures from Congress, the widening deficit threatens to deplete the trust funds that finance Social Security in 2032, and Medicare one year later. — Tristan Bove, Fortune, 2 July 2026 Hana Creger has analyzed highway widening policy as the associate director of climate equity at the Greenlining Institute, which supports AB 2560. — Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 25 June 2026 Matthew Brewer, previously the CHA’s interim CEO and board chair, declared his candidacy in the 2027 mayoral race, the latest addition to a widening pool of contenders. — Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2026 Shell's modeling indicates a global supply deficit starting around 2037, widening to 100-300 MTPA by 2050, leading to higher prices and geopolitical risks. — David Blackmon, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for widening
  1. broadening
  2. expanding
  3. intensifying
Verb
  • The longer-term relative trend is not yet bullish, with the declining 200-day MA still overhead, but the recent improvement fits with broadening leadership.
    — Katie Stockton, CNBC, 6 July 2026
  • Yet many could still replicate portions of its economic evolution by broadening participation, encouraging private enterprise, welcoming additional foreign investors, and leveraging competition among outside powers to secure more favorable outcomes.
    — Wesley Alexander Hill, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026
Definition of broadening
Verb
  • The 585-acre neighborhood contains 5 million square feet of office space, including 250,000 square feet of medical offices where John Muir Health has been expanding.
    — George Avalos, Mercury News, 6 July 2026
  • The mission won't just hunt for aliens, but rather explore these habitable planets and their atmospheres, expanding our understanding of other worlds while also being used for a variety of astronomical purposes.
    — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 6 July 2026
Definition of expanding
Verb
  • That was despite intensifying heat that Cage and the communications team would make a point of emphasizing on-site and in messaging.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 30 June 2026
  • Airbnb is intensifying its fight against disruptive parties, particularly for holidays like July 4th, employing advanced technology to block high-risk bookings.
    — Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of intensifying

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Cite this Entry

“Widening.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/widening. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of widening for Spanish Speakers

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