Meaning & use
narrower
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“narrower” is a form of “narrow”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Measuring less from side to side than something else, or than before.
Grammar: Comparative of narrow; often followed by than: narrower than the old road.
Patterns
- narrower than something
- become narrower
The path grew narrower as we climbed the hill.
This street is narrower than the one near the school.
The river gets narrower just before the waterfall.
adjectivecomparablefigurative
More limited in range, scope, or variety than something else.
Grammar: Used for ideas and abilities as well as shapes: a narrower definition of success.
Patterns
- a narrower focus
- a narrower sense
The new law has a much narrower focus than the old one.
In its narrower sense, the word refers only to adults.
They chose a narrower range of products to keep costs down.
adjectivebefore a noun
Winning or losing by a smaller amount than another contest or earlier result.
Grammar: Usually before a noun like margin, victory, or lead.
Patterns
- a narrower margin
- a narrower lead
The party won again, but by a narrower margin than last time.
Her lead over the others is narrower this week.
Common combinations
- narrower than
- The new model is narrower than the previous one.
- gradually narrower
- The valley grows gradually narrower toward the north.
- narrower focus
- The report takes a narrower focus on housing costs.
- narrower margin
- They won by a narrower margin this year.
- narrower definition
- Lawyers prefer a narrower definition of the term.
Synonyms and how they differ
- slimmer
- Slimmer usually describes the thin shape of people or objects and sounds more positive than narrower.
- tighter
- Tighter suggests less room to move or pass, while narrower only describes smaller width.
- more restricted
- More restricted is used for limits on range or freedom, and not for physical width.
- thinner
- Thinner describes the distance through an object, such as paper, while narrower describes the distance across.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: narrower or thinner?
narrower vs thinner
Thinner means less thick, as in paper or soup. Narrower means less wide, as in a road or a river.
Practice
The old bridge is ___ than the new one, so trucks cannot cross it.
Choose one answer.
Narrower is the comparative form, and it is used with than. Narrowest is the superlative and does not fit a comparison between two bridges.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “narrower”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.