verb

• Make or become wider.

  no object ‘his grin widened’

  More example sentences

  • ‘the lane widened out into a small clearing’
  • ‘the incentive to dredge and widen the river’
  • ‘Asked about the move, his slow smile widens into a broad grin that crinkles the sun-wizened features of his face.’
  • ‘Further south, and the Shannon takes on a different character as the river widens, and it flows through Lough Derg, its largest lake.’
  • ‘There is barely room for two vehicles to pass at the moment and there is little scope for widening the pavement at that point.’
  • ‘It now needs public support in widening the scope of the research through thoughts and opinions on a range of issues.’
  • ‘The idea was to widen the debate and open the whole process up to more public scrutiny.’
  • ‘He watched as it fell down her back and to the floor, his grin widening all the while.’
  • ‘Michael's smile widened into a grin and he took the sandwich she had bought for him.’
  • ‘As the river widens in the distance, the settlements along the water grow increasingly larger.’
  • ‘My eyes suddenly fly open and my mouth widens and my back arches off the ground.’
  • ‘Mally's violet eyes widened and she opened her mouth, trying to speak, but no words came out.’
  • ‘Also provide employment and widen the scope of help to a larger number of people.’
  • ‘What instruments are available to states to spread liberal values and widen the zone of peace?’
  • ‘The push for more donations from entrepreneurs is becoming gradually apparent in society as the gap between rich and poor widens.’
  • ‘Starting with a simple tale of human tragedy, the plot slowly widens to encompass national and international concerns.’
  • ‘Men with better tech skills get the high-paying jobs, and the wage gap widens between the genders.’
  • ‘Every year the gap between the average man and the average leader widens.’
  • ‘Someone delivers Goodman a soda, and he widens his mouth to encompass the thick cap of the bottle.’
  • ‘Swing away from the Treasury and the canyon widens somewhat, with a wide sandy bottom between sheer cliffs.’
  • ‘In our climate, organic waste biodegrades rapidly, which widens our options for dealing with it.’
  • ‘Comedy and tragedy do not co-exist well and the gap between them widens as the film progresses.’

  Synonyms

  broaden, become wider, make wider, open up, open out, spread, expand, extend, enlarge, stretch

  increase, augment, add to, develop, boost, swell, supplement, amplify, enlarge, make bigger, make greater, make larger

  View synonyms