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narrowing

4.9

Gradually getting narrower toward one end

adjective
/ˈnɛroʊɪŋ/

: estrechamiento

The river flows through a narrowing valley, creating beautiful cliffs on both sides.

Examples

As the road progressed, it gradually became narrowing and more difficult to navigate.
She used a narrowing knife to cut the delicate herbs with precision.
Here the Coastal Rd passes through a narrow gap between a salt marsh and the sea.
I'm assuming it's because my phone is narrower than most iPhones.
So do that first lay down of color and then take your tinier, more narrow tapered brush.
I'll try and demonstrate that this is just a funnel with a very narrow neck and there's a cup.

Synonyms

to constrict

vsnarrowing

30 5.6

To become tighter because of pressure or shrinking

reduces width by slow shaping, not mainly through pressure

to taper

vsnarrowing

12 4.3

To make something narrower toward one end

reduces width slowly rather than by sudden change or pressure

tapering

vsnarrowing

4.7

Becoming gradually narrower toward one end

reduces width slowly toward one end rather than by force

to straiten

vsnarrowing

Archaic

9.2

Press something so it becomes narrow or tight

reduces width gradually toward one end rather than forced squeezing

Antonyms

widening

3 2.7

A change that makes something wider, like a road or gap

How Narrow

constricting

1 6.5

narrowing

4.9

widening

3 2.7

Surface Forms

narrowing positive

Morphology

narrowing = narrow (transparent) = narrow + ing

Present-participle used adjectivally from the verb 'narrow', directly indicating 'becoming narrower' or 'tapering'.

Etymology

The adjective narrowing is from the same root as narrow, from old English nearu meaning 'tight' or 'close'. So when a passage is narrowing it is getting smaller or tapering toward one end, which makes it harder to pass through.