widens up to

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "widens up to" is not standard in written English and may be considered incorrect.
It could be used in contexts where you want to describe something that expands or increases in width, but it is better to use more conventional expressions. Example: "The river widens up to a mile as it approaches the delta."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

However, as the load increases, the latency gap between SUIT and FCE widens up to 4 s, which means 28% performance gap.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

The crossguard forms an arch that is 1.8 cm wide in the middle and widens up to 3.4 cm at both ends.

Wikipedia

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

Nine miles of beaches along Cancún and the Riviera Maya have been widened up to 600 feet.

The New York Times - Travel

Note that in order to obtain sufficient MLT coverage, the low-latitude range is been widened up to 40°.

Earth, Planets and Space

Moreover the frequency bandwidth was widened up to 200% compared to the one obtained from a single cantilever beam.

Optical Materials

As a result, the acceptance angle can be widened up to 250 mrad in horizontal and 63 mrad in vertical.

Infrared Physics & Technology

As previously reported, 11 for both NA and EU samples the survival gap between stars and the population widened up to 25 years postfame.

BMJ Open

Your chest will widen up and out to the sides.

Huffington Post

It's great if you can get kids to eat them early on, as it will widen up their taste buds to other strong-flavoured ingredients.

Independent

"Then our eyes started to widen up a little bit at the prospect of what might be coming in the future," he continued.

The New York Times - Science

Put on a thin pair of socks, then a thicker woolen one above it, then put on the shoes, causing them to widen up a bit.

WikiHow

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

For clarity and precision, prefer using "widens to" or "expands to" instead of "widens up to". This ensures your writing aligns with standard English conventions.

Common error

Be careful not to add unnecessary words; "up to" can often be removed without changing the meaning. Using "widens to" is more concise and grammatically accepted.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "widens up to" functions as a verb phrase indicating the process of becoming broader or more expansive, reaching a specific limit or extent. Although Ludwig AI flags it as non-standard, examples show its use in describing physical dimensions and abstract concepts.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

33%

News & Media

33%

Wiki

17%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "widens up to" appears in various sources, it's considered non-standard English and is flagged by Ludwig AI. It aims to describe something expanding in width to a certain point. For improved clarity and grammatical correctness, using alternatives like "widens to" or "expands to" is advisable. The phrase has a neutral tone, is most frequently found in scientific and news contexts, and should be used with caution in formal writing to avoid redundancy.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

widens to

Omits "up to", creating a more standard and concise expression.

extends up to

Focuses on the reach or span of something, rather than its broadening.

broadens to

Replaces "widens" with a synonym, focusing on the act of becoming wider.

increases up to

Emphasizes the quantitative growth in size or number, not specifically width.

expands up to

Highlights the overall enlargement, not limited to width.

stretches up to

Implies a linear extension, rather than a widening.

enlarges to

Uses a different verb to indicate an increase in size, not specifically width.

grows to

A more general term for increasing in size, applicable in many contexts.

reaches a width of

Specifies that the final measurement is a width, making it more precise.

swells to

Suggests an increase in size due to internal pressure or growth.

FAQs

What's a more grammatically sound alternative to "widens up to"?

Consider using alternatives like "widens to" or "expands to" for better grammatical correctness and clarity.

How can I use "widens to" in a sentence?

For example, instead of saying "The river widens up to a mile", say "The river widens to a mile" as it approaches the delta.

Is "widens up to" considered formal English?

No, "widens up to" is not typically used in formal writing. It's preferable to use the more concise and standard form "widens to" or similar alternatives.

What's the difference between "widens up to" and "widens to"?

The phrase "widens to" is more standard and concise. The inclusion of "up to" in "widens up to" can be seen as redundant, since "to" already implies reaching a certain point or extent.