widening
Becoming more spacious
Widening is the act of making or becoming wider.
Roads undergo widening to accommodate more traffic.
A widening gap suggests increasing distance or difference: the widening gap between rich and poor.
Widening can be literal—widening of the highway—or figurative—a widening investigation, widening influence.
Widening of an opening
- distensionEnlargement from pressure
- stretchingExtending muscles or material
- swellingAbnormal tissue enlargement
- bloatingSwollen, expanded state
bulging · spreading · opening · flaring · gaping · expansion · enlargement · dilatation
Increasing in extent
- diversificationExpanding into varied areas
- extensionAdded part or duration
- expansionIncrease in scope
- inclusionBeing made part
reach · range · coverage · scope · breadth · comprehensiveness · generalization · universalization
Measurable difference between things
- divergenceSeparation from common origin
- inequalityUnequal distribution of resources
- divideSeparate into parts
- separationState of being apart
difference · discrepancy · gulf · chasm · polarization · stratification · imbalance · asymmetry
Increase in scope
- growthIncrease in size
- amplificationIncrease in intensity
- magnificationDegree of visual enlargement
- augmentationAct of adding more
escalation · intensification · proliferation · increase · surge · boom · spreading · extending
Designated travel strip
- shoulderUpper arm joint
- bypassRoute that skirts obstacles
- interchangeReciprocal transfer between parties
- constructionProcess of building something
pavement · highway · carriageway · junction · turning · passing · bottleneck · traffic
dilation
Widening of an opening
- distensionEnlargement from pressure
- stretchingExtending muscles or material
- swellingAbnormal tissue enlargement
bloating · bulging · spreading · opening · flaring · gaping · expansion · enlargement · dilatation · thickening
broadening
Increasing in extent
- diversificationExpanding into varied areas
- extensionAdded part or duration
- expansionIncrease in scope
inclusion · reach · range · coverage · scope · breadth · comprehensiveness · generalization · universalization · accessibility
disparity
Measurable difference between things
- divergenceSeparation from common origin
- inequalityUnequal distribution of resources
- divideSeparate into parts
separation · difference · discrepancy · gulf · chasm · polarization · stratification · imbalance · asymmetry · differentiation
expansion
Increase in scope
- growthIncrease in size
- amplificationIncrease in intensity
- magnificationDegree of visual enlargement
augmentation · escalation · intensification · proliferation · increase · surge · boom · spreading · extending · deepening
lane
Designated travel strip
- shoulderUpper arm joint
- bypassRoute that skirts obstacles
- interchangeReciprocal transfer between parties
construction · pavement · highway · carriageway · junction · turning · passing · bottleneck · traffic · infrastructure
- letting outrenting, subletting, leasing, emitting, screaming
- dilationpupil dilation, vasodilation, cervical dilation, bronchodilation, expansion
- deformingbending, twisting, warping, curving, folding
- eye movementsgaze, blink, stare, glance, squint
- size changesenlarge, enlargement, expand, expansion, shrink
- canalsGrand Canal, Panama Canal, Suez Canal, Erie Canal, canal boat
wideningnarrowing
Reduction in width
constricting · contracting · tapering · shrinking · tightening
wideningnarrowing
Reduction in width
restricting · curtailing · limiting · closing · reducing
- widening gap
- road wideningEnlarging a thoroughfare's breadth
- eye wideningOcular response to shock