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
The wage gap among full-time workers also widened in 2023 — the first time this has happened since 2003 — going from women making about $10,390 less in 2022 to making about $11,550 less.
—
Justin L. MacK, Axios, 1 Apr. 2025
The seafloor widens along rift zones, pushing the tectonic plates apart, and gets recycled into Earth’s mantle along subduction zones.
—David Bressan, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Equally distressing, achievement gaps have widened among economic groups since the pandemic, despite the pro-equity rhetoric of leading Democrats.
—Bruce Fuller, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2025
Tearing down agencies that helped create the Black middle class and removing civil rights protections will widen disparities.
—Willie Wilson, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for widen
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Justin L. MacK, Axios, 1 Apr. 2025
The seafloor widens along rift zones, pushing the tectonic plates apart, and gets recycled into Earth’s mantle along subduction zones.
—David Bressan, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Equally distressing, achievement gaps have widened among economic groups since the pandemic, despite the pro-equity rhetoric of leading Democrats.
—Bruce Fuller, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2025
Tearing down agencies that helped create the Black middle class and removing civil rights protections will widen disparities.
—Willie Wilson, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 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 9 Apr. 2025.
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