widened; widening
ˈwīd-niŋ 
ˈwī-dᵊn-iŋ
: to increase the width, scope, or extent of
widen a road
widen an investigation
: to become wide or wider
a widening gap
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
California is a case study in this problem, with a housing deficit that widened by nearly six million units over the last three decades.
—
Wayne Winegarden, Oc Register, 30 May 2025
China widened its lead for these goods in the same period.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 29 May 2025
That split widened with the COVID-19 pandemic and the divisions that emerged from mask mandates and vaccine development.
—Katheryn Houghton, NPR, 26 May 2025
According to Brown University’s Costs of War project, more civilians were likely directly killed in post-9/11 conflicts than fighters on either side — and when the number of indirect deaths from starvation and destruction are included, that gulf only widens.
—Bryan Walsh, Vox, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for widen
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Wayne Winegarden, Oc Register, 30 May 2025
China widened its lead for these goods in the same period.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 29 May 2025
That split widened with the COVID-19 pandemic and the divisions that emerged from mask mandates and vaccine development.
—Katheryn Houghton, NPR, 26 May 2025
According to Brown University’s Costs of War project, more civilians were likely directly killed in post-9/11 conflicts than fighters on either side — and when the number of indirect deaths from starvation and destruction are included, that gulf only widens.
—Bryan Walsh, Vox, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for widen
Cite this Entry
“Widen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/widen. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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