Narrow means not wide, with little space from one side to the other. A narrow hallway forces you to walk single file because two people can't comfortably walk side by side. A narrow bridge might make a driver nervous because there's not much room for error. When a tailor narrows a pair of pants, she makes them less wide so they fit better.

The word also describes something limited or restricted in scope. A person with narrow interests cares only about a few specific things and ignores everything else. Someone with a narrow mind refuses to consider new ideas or different perspectives, like a student who insists there's only one right way to solve a math problem even when the teacher shows three valid approaches.

When you narrow something down, you reduce the options or possibilities. If your class is choosing between ten field trip destinations, you might narrow it down to three finalists before voting. A detective narrows down the list of suspects by eliminating people who have solid alibis.

A narrow escape or narrow victory means barely avoiding disaster or barely winning. If you finish a race just one second ahead of second place, that's a narrow victory. The word captures that heart-pounding feeling when something could have gone either way.