1
the widening of sth
作为名词，表示拓宽的动作或过程，of 后接被拓宽的对象。
The widening of the river altered the local ecosystem.
河流的拓宽改变了当地的生态系统。
加宽；拓宽；扩大
先理解核心含义，再看它在真实句子里的用法。
加宽；拓宽；扩大
the action of making something wider or becoming wider
The widening of the river altered the local ecosystem.
河流的拓宽改变了当地的生态系统。
动词 widen 的动作。
The action of the verb widen.
The widening of the old bridge took almost a year.
旧桥的加宽工程花了将近一年时间。
Residents welcomed the widening of the sidewalk for safer walking.
居民们欢迎人行道加宽，以便更安全地行走。
The city approved the widening of Main Street to reduce congestion.
市政府批准了主街的拓宽以缓解拥堵。
作为名词，表示拓宽的动作或过程，of 后接被拓宽的对象。
The widening of the river altered the local ecosystem.
河流的拓宽改变了当地的生态系统。
名词置于 widening 前构成复合名词，说明拓宽的对象，如 road widening、lane widening。
The road widening was completed ahead of schedule.
道路拓宽提前完成了。
Not this
The widening road is necessary.
Use this
The widening of the road is necessary.
这里要表达“拓宽道路”这个动作，需要用名词短语 the widening of the road。而 widening road 是“正在变宽的道路”，是现在分词作形容词，语义不同。中文“拓宽”可作动词或名词，但英语中需根据词性选择正确结构。
Not this
The widening of gap is caused by climate change.
Use this
The widening of the gap is caused by climate change.
gap 是单数可数名词，前面需要限定词（如 the）。中文“差距”可以不用冠词，但英语中具体可数名词前必须加冠词。
Not this
The widening of the roads are necessary.
Use this
The widening of the roads is necessary.
句子主语是 the widening（单数），不是 roads，所以谓语动词用单数 is。中文受“道路”复数影响，容易误用复数谓语。
Focus on the distinctions below. Other candidates are kept compact until a reliable usage note is available.
道路拓宽
The road widening project was completed ahead of schedule.
道路拓宽工程提前完成了。
差距的扩大
The widening of the gap between generations worries many parents.
代际差距的扩大让许多家长担忧。
不平等的加剧
The widening of inequality has become a key political issue.
不平等的加剧已成为一个关键的政治问题。
扩大参与
The university has a policy of widening participation to attract students from all backgrounds.
这所大学有一项扩大参与的政策，以吸引来自各种背景的学生。
不断扩大的差距
The widening gap between the rich and the poor is alarming.
贫富之间不断扩大的差距令人担忧。
撒开越来越大的网；逐步扩大搜索范围
Police cast a widening net in search of the escaped prisoner.
警方撒开越来越大的网，搜索越狱囚犯。
不断扩大的影响圈
Her theories have gained a widening circle of influence across the globe.
她的理论在全球产生了日益扩大的影响圈。
在渐渐扩大的螺旋中不断旋转 猎鹰听不见驯鹰人的呼唤；
A famous line from W.B. Yeats's poem 'The Second Coming' (1919), often cited to describe historical chaos and loss of order.
叶芝诗作《第二次降临》（1919）中的名句，常被引用以描述历史的混乱和秩序的丧失。
Use widening naturally, then get feedback on meaning, tone, grammar, and phrasing.
Revisit a common error or keep this word in your review list.
widening 拆成 wide（宽）+-ing，想象一条路越来越宽的动态过程，即“拓宽”。
语域：mixed 常见场景：政策与社会趋势讨论、道路工程与基础设施建设、学术或新闻报道 名词 widening 表示“拓宽、扩大”这一动作，多用于书面或较正式的场景（如政策讨论、工程描述、新闻报道）；日常口语中更常见的是动词 widen。整体语气中性，正式程度随搭配而变化。
通常用作不可数名词，指宽度增加或扩大的行为。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY, WORDNET.