1
a
: of slender width
a long and narrow room
b
: of less than standard or usual width
a narrow sidewalk
c
of a textile
: woven in widths usually less than 18 inches (46 centimeters)
2
: limited in size or scope
a narrow interpretation
3
a
: illiberal (see illiberal sense b) in views or disposition : prejudiced
the days of cold hearts and narrow minds—
T. B. Macaulay
T. B. Macaulay4
a
: barely sufficient : close
won by a narrow margin
b
: barely successful
a narrow escape
5
: minutely precise : meticulous
a narrow inspection
6
of an animal ration
: relatively rich in protein as compared with carbohydrate and fat
7
narrowly
adverb
narrowness
noun
narrowed; narrowing; narrows
1
: to decrease the breadth or extent of : contract
—often used with down
2
: to decrease the scope or sphere of : limit
—often used with down
narrow down the choices
: to lessen in width or extent : contract
—often used with down
: a narrow part or passage
specifically
: a strait connecting two bodies of water
—usually used in plural but singular or plural in construction
Examples of narrow in a Sentence
Adjective
The city's ancient streets are too narrow for buses.
We crossed at the narrowest part of the river.
His shoulders are very narrow.
within the narrow limits allowed by law
They offer a narrow range of flavors: chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla.
the study's narrow focus on 30-year-old men
The study was narrow in scope.
a narrow view of politics
Verb
The path was narrowed by overgrowth.
His eyes narrowed as he focused on the words in front of him.
The vase narrows at its top.
narrowing the range of options
You'll need to narrow the focus of your paper to one central idea.
The gap between their salaries was beginning to narrow.
Noun
we had to cautiously navigate our dinghy through the narrows before reaching the open water of the bay
Recent Examples on the Web
Matthew Carey Salyer, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025
Mona Jones said that was no cakewalk: The bridge over the Salt River didn't exist in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and State Route 87, the Beeline Highway, was just a narrow two-lane road.
—Debra Utacia Krol, AZCentral.com, 24 July 2025
Adrian Bridgwater, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025
Support narrowed slightly over the next two years, with Democrats holding a 17-point lead in both 2022 and 2023 (55 to 38), before collapsing in 2024.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 July 2025
Julia Manchester, The Hill, 15 May 2025
But here, in the narrows of the canyon, where Temescal Creek tickled the roots of sycamores and cooled the air beneath the heavy branches of valley oaks, Young lighted up with the enthusiasm of an amateur botanist.
—Greg Goldin, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for narrow
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adjective
Greene’s characterization of a ‘narrow audience’ echoes this.
—Matthew Carey Salyer, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025
Mona Jones said that was no cakewalk: The bridge over the Salt River didn't exist in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and State Route 87, the Beeline Highway, was just a narrow two-lane road.
—Debra Utacia Krol, AZCentral.com, 24 July 2025
Verb
Being quite specific about your requests and structuring the language in a prompt with more precise descriptive terms to direct an AI service and narrow its options is generally a way of getting a more accurate result.
—Adrian Bridgwater, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025
Support narrowed slightly over the next two years, with Democrats holding a 17-point lead in both 2022 and 2023 (55 to 38), before collapsing in 2024.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 July 2025
Noun
The legislation directs states to cover a portion of SNAP benefit costs, narrows eligibility requirements for the program, and aims to prevent the federal government from being able to increase monthly benefits in the future.
—Julia Manchester, The Hill, 15 May 2025
But here, in the narrows of the canyon, where Temescal Creek tickled the roots of sycamores and cooled the air beneath the heavy branches of valley oaks, Young lighted up with the enthusiasm of an amateur botanist.
—Greg Goldin, Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for narrow
Cite this Entry
“Narrow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/narrow. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
narrow
1 of 3 adjective
nar·row
ˈnar-ō 
1
a
: of slender width
a narrow space
b
: of less than usual width
narrow roads
2
: limited in size or scope
a narrow selection of jeans
3
: not broad or open in views or opinions
narrow in their thinking
4
a
: barely enough for the purpose : close
won by a narrow margin
b
: barely successful
a narrow escape
narrowly
adverb
narrowness
noun
narrow
2 of 3 noun
: a narrow part or passage
especially
: a strait connecting two bodies of water
—usually used in plural
narrow
3 of 3 verb
: to lessen in width or extent : contract
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