broaden
Americanverb (used with or without object)
-
broadens,
present (3rd person singular)
-
broadened,
past participle, past
-
broadening
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
broadensimple
-
broadenssimple
-
have broadenedperfect
-
has broadenedperfect
-
am broadeningprogressive
-
are broadeningprogressive
-
is broadeningprogressive
-
have been broadeningperfect progressive
-
has been broadeningperfect progressive
Past
-
broadenedsimple
-
had broadenedperfect
-
was broadeningprogressive
-
were broadeningprogressive
-
had been broadeningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of broaden
Explanation
To broaden something is to make it wider or more expansive. If you wake up feeling less than cheerful, the sight of the doughnuts your dad got for breakfast might broaden your smile. Something can broaden literally, like a river that broadens as you hike beside it, growing wider as it flows south. Things also broaden figuratively, the way people's minds tend to broaden when they travel around the world and meet people from different cultures. In both cases, things that broaden expand and become more open.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
He had hoped to become a political or policy analyst after graduation, but fierce competition in the entry-level job market has forced him to broaden his search to areas like human resources.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
The researchers plan to broaden their investigation by studying how PBH-triggered explosions might affect the overall population of conventional supernovae and the combined rates of these brief but powerful cosmic events.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 1, 2026
They also brought back a chicken-salad promotion to broaden its customer base.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
The new regulations "considerably broaden the scope for entrepreneurs and private companies on the island," state controlled media reported.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
Mr Lewis's smile seemed to broaden slightly as he said this.
From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
The revelation broadens a cyber incident that OpenAI described as unprecedented and which began when two of its models hacked Hugging Face, a site developers use to store and share AI models and code.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
"For JioStar, tennis broadens the engagement calendar, attracts affluent urban audiences and diversifies advertiser categories beyond cricket," says Bhalla.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
But if the weakness broadens or geopolitical risks intensify, policymakers could be spurred into action.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026
Chatrie broadens the constitutional problem considerably because geofence warrants are built around collective searching.
From Slate ● May 20, 2026
‘And this ledge broadens out to the right. I could stand there without a hold. I’ll——’ his words were cut short.
From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien
That order, which came into effect on 29 August 2025, broadened an earlier presidential action which specifically targeted cheap products from China and Hong Kong to cover the rest of the world.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
"The hawkish core of the Fed has not only hardened but it's broadened," said Swonk, who expects two rate hikes later this year.
From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026
The results broadened the concern beyond isolated thickening of the mitral valve, although animal findings cannot determine what happens in people taking standard doses of antidepressants.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 12, 2026
But the energy-price shock has broadened, raising the likelihood of second-round inflationary effects such as stronger wage growth, she said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
“We made friends—kids from different cultures. It broadened our minds, and we weren’t the only ones going through hard times. That’s why the team is so close. It became our family.”
From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John
Moreover, the broadening of earnings delivery in the second quarter is a further indication that this earnings-growth cycle is healthy, Jamner added.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
“Strong order rates and a growing backlog reflect broadening momentum across all three of our primary segments.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
Tim Wilkins, the managing director of Intertanko, a trade body representing tanker owners, said the industry was "facing a broadening, deteriorating, and increasingly complex security situation".
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2026
Monday’s sharp selloff reflects easing fears of a broadening conflict after two weeks of strikes, but key risks remain, according to market watchers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
The sky spoke of rain to come; but the light was broadening quickly, and the red flowers on the beans began to glow against the wet green leaves.
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
