widen

widen — verb

1. if something widens or you widen it, the distance from one side to the other get

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

if something widens or you widen it, the distance from one side to the other gets bigger

Example

The construction crew widened the road from two lanes to four.

transitive: widen + road/path/opening

Joon's smile widened when his sister brought out the birthday cake.

Common collocations
  • widen a road
  • widen a path
  • widen an opening
  • widen a gap
  • widen a smile
Synonyms
  • broaden

    nearly identical; often preferred for surfaces and smiles

  • expand

    suggests growth in every direction, not just width

  • enlarge

    making bigger overall; common for images, photos, or openings

Antonyms
  • narrow

    the direct opposite; to make or become narrower in width

Grammar Patterns

widen + noun phrase

noun phrase + widens

Usage Note

Frequently used with objects that have a measurable physical dimension, such as roads, rivers, openings, cracks, or body parts like a smile. The intransitive use describes a natural change happening by itself without an agent.

Common Mistakes

The river widen after the storm.
The river widened after the storm.
'widen' is a regular verb; use the -ed suffix for past tense.
She widened the photo.
She widened the photo by cropping the edges.
state what you changed the width of; 'widen' needs a measurable dimension context.

2. to increase the range of things that are included or affected, or to become grea

2.verbtransitive / intransitiveB2
Definition

to increase the range of things that are included or affected, or to become greater in extent, degree, or influence

Example

The school widened its music programme to include guitar and piano lessons.

transitive: widen + programme/range/scope

Soraya's year abroad widened her understanding of different cultures and customs.

Common collocations
  • widen the scope
  • widen the range
  • widen the search
  • widen one's horizons
  • widen participation
  • widen a gap
  • widen understanding
Synonyms
  • broaden

    very similar; often used interchangeably for experiences and horizons

  • expand

    grow in size, scale, or volume; more general than 'widen'

  • extend

    make longer or reach further; emphasises pushing a limit outward

Antonyms
  • narrow

    can apply to scope, range, or gap

  • restrict

    impose limits; stronger and more formal than 'narrow'

  • limit

    keep within a boundary; neutral register

Grammar Patterns

widen + noun phrase (abstract)

noun phrase + widens

Usage Note

Common with abstract nouns such as 'range', 'scope', 'gap', 'horizons', 'interests', 'understanding', and 'search'. Often used in semi-formal or formal contexts describing institutional changes or personal development. Distinguish from Sense 1 by the object type: Sense 1 takes concrete physical objects; Sense 2 takes abstract concepts.

Common Mistakes

The company widened its products.
The company widened its product range.
'widen' needs a noun like 'range', 'selection', or 'variety'; it does not take the product names directly as an object.
The gap between rich and poor is widening more.
The gap between rich and poor is widening.
'grow' or 'increase' are more natural with 'more'; 'widen' already expresses the change.
Idioms

widen the net

idiom

To look at or include more options or possibilities when trying to find something.

The police widened the net to find the missing child.

If you don't get a job, try widening the net to other cities.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/2

All four verbs describe making something larger, but they differ in direction and scope. 'Widen' and 'broaden' are the closest pair — both suggest an increase in range or variety, with 'broaden' slightly more common for experiences ('broaden the mind') and 'widen' for concrete gaps or searches. 'Expand' is the most general, covering size, volume, territory, and operations ('expand the business'), without implying a specific direction. 'Extend' adds a sense of reaching outward or lengthening a limit ('extend a deadline', 'extend an invitation'). For choosing an academic programme, you could 'widen the curriculum' (include more subjects), 'broaden the curriculum' (add variety), 'expand the curriculum' (grow the whole programme), or 'extend the curriculum' (lengthen its reach to new grade levels).

widen ↗broaden ↗expand ↗extend ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • gap widens
  • difference widens
  • range widens
  • split widens

Adverbs

  • gradually widen
  • significantly widen
  • steadily widen
  • rapidly widen
  • considerably widen

Phrases

  • widen the gap between
  • widen one's horizons
  • widen the scope of

Prepositions

  • widen from...to...
  • widen by [amount]

Etymology

Proto-GermanicOld EnglishEnglish

Formed by adding the verb suffix '-en' (meaning 'to make or become') to the Old English adjective 'wid', which traces back to the Proto-Germanic word '*widaz'. The '-en' suffix has been used since Old English times to turn adjectives into verbs, creating pairs like 'wide → widen', 'deep → deepen', and 'broad → broaden'.