Widthways means across the width of something rather than along its length. If you fold a piece of paper widthways, you're folding it from side to side across its shorter dimension. If you cut a sandwich widthways, you're slicing across its width instead of down its length.

Picture a rectangular table: walking lengthways means walking along the long side, but walking widthways means crossing from one short side to the other.

The word is especially useful when you need to be precise about direction. A carpenter might cut a board widthways to make it narrower, or a seamstress might measure fabric widthways to check how wide it is. You'll also see the spelling widthwise, which means exactly the same thing. Both words help you communicate clearly about direction and orientation, whether you're giving instructions for a science project or explaining how to arrange desks in a classroom.