Synonyms for

Widening

Verb / ˈwaɪdʌnɪŋ / Another word for widening — explore alternatives below. For syllable breakdowns and pronunciation, see this word on Syllablesworld.

Definition

Making or becoming wider.

Synonyms & similar words

narrow takein widen broaden broadening turnout narrowing letout extend expanding broadening enlarging extending stretching spreading dilating augmenting increasing growing developing evolving progressing advancing improving enhancing amplifying escalating intensifying multiplying

Synonyms by register

Formal

expanding broadening enlarging extending

Informal

getting bigger opening up stretching out

Literary

unfurling dilating

Antonyms

narrowing shrinking contracting reducing lessening tightening

Common collocations

  • widening gap
  • widening gyre
  • widening scope
  • widening eyes
  • widening circle
  • widening chasm
  • widening disparity

Word family

noun widening
verb widen
adjective wide

Usage note

Often used to describe an increase in distance, difference, or scope. Be mindful of context, as 'widening' can imply a negative divergence in some situations, like a 'widening gap'.

Example sentences

  1. The river was widening as it flowed toward the ocean.
  2. The carpenter is widening the window frame to fit the larger window.
  3. The doctor needs to widen the incision to remove the tumor.
  4. The company is widening its product line to appeal to a wider audience.
  5. The athlete is working on widening his stride to run faster.

Quotes

  • The universe is widening faster than astronomers thought.
  • Education is the widening of the mind and of the spirit.
  • The only true voyage of discovery...would be not to visit strange lands but to possess other eyes, to behold the universe through the eyes of another, of a hundred others, to behold the hundred universes that each of them beholds, that each of them is.

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