Synonyms

widen

American

[wahyd-n] / ˈwaɪd n /

verb (used with or without object)

to make or become wide or wider; broaden; expand.

widen British

/ ˈwaɪdən /

verb

to make or become wide or wider

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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Etymology

Origin of widen

First recorded in 1600–10; wide + -en ¹

Explanation

When you made something broader or more open, you widen it. In order to add bike lanes on your street, the city may need to widen it. Your friend's smile will undoubtedly widen when you hand him a chocolate cupcake — in other words, what starts as a grin gets bigger and wider. A scholar who widens her area of expertise adds subjects to her research, and your dinner options widen when two great new restaurants open in your town.

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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.

Appeared in the February 11, 2026, print edition as 'AI Woes Widen to Financial Sector'.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 10, 2026

Widen the space between the two bubbles that make up a “K.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 11, 2024

Widen the focus from the brothers, and soccer is overflowing with starting XI pictures.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 20, 2022

Widen your stance, address the ball toward your front foot, and set the clubshaft so it's vertical.

From Golf Digest • May 4, 2017

Widen the nozzle of the pipe, and the force is in like manner diminished.

From Lives of the Engineers The Locomotive. George and Robert Stephenson by Smiles, Samuel

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023