widen
Americanverb (used with or without object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of widen
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.
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.
These groups have tried to stop states from changing rules to widen the market for NPs and PAs, as the other professions are known.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 16, 2026
That gap is projected to widen to 17 times by 2027.
From MarketWatch • May 14, 2026
“The supply-demand gap will likely widen further in 2027, with customers already pulling forward 2027 demand due to concerns about shortages,” wrote J.P.
From Barron's • May 11, 2026
As the channels deepen and widen, parts of the ice shelf may thin unevenly, reducing the shelf's overall structural stability.
From Science Daily • May 10, 2026
He notices me this time and his eyes widen.
From "A Mango-Shaped Space" by Wendy Mass
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.
