Synonyms

deepen

American

[dee-puhn] / ˈdi pən /

verb (used with or without object)

to make or become deep or deeper: deep.

Larger ships will be able to navigate the river after the main channel is deepened. The shadows deepened toward late afternoon.
Meteorology. to decrease in atmospheric pressure.

a deepening cyclone.

deepen British

/ ˈdiːpən /

verb

to make or become deep, deeper, or more intense

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

deepener noun
deepeningly adverb
overdeepen verb (used with object)
undeepened adjective

Etymology

Origin of deepen

First recorded in 1595–1605; deep + -en ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In recent years, Khamenei also oversaw deepening ties with China and, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a pivot toward the Kremlin.

From The Wall Street Journal

Given the capacity of the Middle East to export trouble, the eruption of renewed and intensified war deepens the instability of region and wider world that is already turbulent, violent and dangerous.

From BBC

Nonetheless, his relationship with Mountbatten-Windsor appears to have deepened and grown.

From BBC

However, if softness in private-credit names deepens and financials start to roll over, that would be a broader cause for concern.

From Barron's

OpenAI boss Sam Altman has weighed in to the deepening row between the US Department of Defense and rival AI company, Anthropic, throwing his support behind his competitor.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023