deepen

verb

deep·​en ˈdē-pən How to pronounce deepen (audio)
deepened; deepening ˈdē-pə-niŋ How to pronounce deepen (audio)
ˈdēp-niŋ
Synonyms of deepennext

transitive verb

: to make deep or deeper

intransitive verb

: to become deeper or more profound

Synonyms of deepen

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of deepen in a Sentence

They deepened the river so that larger boats could sail through. Age had deepened the lines in his face. The water deepens toward the center of the river. Her powerful words deepened our commitment to the cause. The vacation together deepened their relationship with each other. The mystery was deepened by her silence. This class will deepen your understanding of economics. Living in the country's capital had deepened her knowledge of politics.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The San Diego Padres made multiple moves to deepen their pitching staff, picking up former Cy Young Award winner Robbie Ray in a deal with the San Francisco Giants and right-hander Casey Mize from the Detroit Tigers. — David Brandt, Chicago Tribune, 4 Aug. 2026 South Korea's policy shift comes as North Korea deepens its ties with Moscow and Beijing. — Se Eun Gong, NPR, 3 Aug. 2026 As surveillance and interrogation deepen, the line between loyalty and obsession blurs, leading both men into a dangerous and uncontrollable connection. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 3 Aug. 2026 The stock rose more than 1% after the steelmaker deepened a technology partnership with Microsoft. — Davis Giangiulio, CNBC, 3 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for deepen

Word History

First Known Use

1600, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of deepen was in 1600

Rhymes for deepen

See All Rhymes for deepen

Browse Nearby Words

deep ecology
deepen
deepeningly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Deepen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deepen. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

deepen

verb
deep·​en ˈdē-pən How to pronounce deepen (audio)
deepened; deepening ˈdēp-(ə-)niŋ How to pronounce deepen (audio)
: to make or become deep or deeper

More from Merriam-Webster on deepen

Nglish: Translation of deepen for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Dutch Treat and French Leave: Eight Place-Based Compounds

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All