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Meaning & use

broadened my horizons

phrase·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˌbrɔːdnd maɪ həˈraɪznz/
US/ˌbrɔːdənd maɪ həˈraɪzənz/

Meaning

  1. phraseidiom

    made me understand more about the world and different ways of life

    Grammar: The possessive pronoun changes with the subject: broadened my/your/his/her/our/their horizons.

    Patterns

    • something broadened my horizons
    • broaden your horizons

    Living in Japan for a year really broadened my horizons.

    The trip broadened my horizons and made me want to learn another language.

    Reading books from other countries broadened her horizons.

Common combinations

really broadened my horizons
Studying abroad really broadened my horizons.
broaden your horizons
You should travel more and broaden your horizons.
broadened my horizons as a person
That experience broadened my horizons as a person.
help broaden someone's horizons
Meeting people from different cultures helped broaden my horizons.

Synonyms and how they differ

opened my mind
Similar, but it focuses on being more willing to accept new ideas, not just learning about the world.
expanded my worldview
More formal and a little academic; it means the same thing but sounds less conversational.

Opposites

narrowed my horizons

Word family

broaden verb
to make something wider or more varied
horizon noun
the line where the sky meets the land or sea; also the limit of your knowledge or experience

Commonly confused: broadened my horizons or expanded my horizon?

broadened my horizons vs expanded my horizon

The idiom always uses the plural 'horizons', not the singular 'horizon'.

Practice

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