broaden
Americanverb (used with or without object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have broadenedperfect
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has broadenedperfect 3rd person singular
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have been broadeningperfect progressive
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is broadeningprogressive 3rd person singular
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am broadeningprogressive 1st person singular
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has been broadeningperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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broadeningparticiple
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broadenssingular 3rd person
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are broadeningprogressive
Past
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had broadenedperfect
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had been broadeningperfect progressive
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was broadeningprogressive singular
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were broadeningprogressive plural
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broadenedparticiple
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broadenedsimple
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.
Because it does not broaden enough, it is blocked by the filters and removed from the cycle.
From Science Daily • Jun. 4, 2026
A truly improving labor market would see hiring broaden out to other industries.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 4, 2026
Analysts say the visit is important for Myanmar's leadership, because it has sought to broaden diplomatic engagement after years of international criticism and isolation.
From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026
Social media is helping to broaden its reach.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026
He believed that a New England college would best broaden his mind by exposing him to a range of ideas and viewpoints.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
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.
