widens

Widens is the third-person singular present tense of the verb widen. Widen means to make something wider or to become wider. The form widens is used with singular subjects in the present tense, for example: The road widens near the town center. Widen can take a direct object (to widen the road, to widen the gap) or be used intransitively (the river widens during floods).

Origin and form: The verb widen comes from the adjective wide plus the verb-forming suffix -en, a productive way in English to create verbs meaning “to cause to become.” The form widens exists as part of the standard conjugation of widen in modern English and has been in use since the language’s Middle English period.

Usage and nuance: Widens is common in everyday speech as well as in technical writing when discussing spatial expansion, scope, or inclusion. It can describe literal expansion of physical dimensions or more figurative broadening, such as widening a circle of friends or widening the scope of a study. Intransitive uses describe something becoming wider on its own (the lane widens), while transitive uses describe causing the widening of another object (to widen the doorway).

Synonyms, antonyms, and related terms: Related verbs include broaden, expand, enlarge, and extend. Antonyms include narrow, constrict, or shrink. Noun forms related to the concept include width and widening, while widened and widening are common participial forms used in different tenses.