diff --git a/doc/modules/ROOT/pages/policies.adoc b/doc/modules/ROOT/pages/policies.adoc
index 81894d2..a47fb2a 100644
--- a/doc/modules/ROOT/pages/policies.adoc
+++ b/doc/modules/ROOT/pages/policies.adoc
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ enum class overflow_policy
     checked,         // Return std::nullopt on overflow/underflow
     wrapping,        // Wrap silently
     strict,          // Call std::exit(EXIT_FAILURE) on error
+    widen,           // Promote to the next wider type (add/mul only)
 };
 
 } // namespace boost::safe_numbers
@@ -68,6 +69,11 @@ enum class overflow_policy
 | Calls `std::exit(EXIT_FAILURE)`
 | Calls `std::exit(EXIT_FAILURE)`
 | Yes
+
+| `widen`
+| Promotes to next wider type (add/mul only)
+| N/A (only add/mul supported)
+| Yes
 |===
 
 == Named Arithmetic Functions
@@ -217,6 +223,28 @@ These functions call `std::exit(EXIT_FAILURE)` on error, providing a hard termin
 
 All strict functions are marked `noexcept` since `std::exit` does not throw.
 
+=== Widening Arithmetic
+
+[source,c++]
+----
+template <UnsignedLibType T>
+constexpr auto widening_add(T lhs, T rhs) noexcept;
+
+template <UnsignedLibType T>
+constexpr auto widening_mul(T lhs, T rhs) noexcept;
+----
+
+These functions avoid overflow entirely by promoting the result to the next wider unsigned integer type.
+The promotion chain is: `uint8` -> `u16`, `u16` -> `u32`, `u32` -> `u64`, `u64` -> `uint128`.
+Since `uint128` is the widest supported type, widening is not available for `uint128` operands (a `static_assert` fires).
+
+Only addition and multiplication are provided because subtraction, division, and modulo cannot overflow into a range that requires a wider type.
+
+- `widening_add`: Returns the sum in the next wider type
+- `widening_mul`: Returns the product in the next wider type
+
+Both functions are `noexcept`.
+
 == Generic Policy-Parameterized Arithmetic
 
 [source,c++]
@@ -260,6 +288,9 @@ The return type depends on the policy:
 
 | `overflow_policy::strict`
 | `T`
+
+| `overflow_policy::widen`
+| Next wider unsigned integer type (add/mul only)
 |===
 
 This allows writing generic code parameterized on the overflow policy:
diff --git a/include/boost/safe_numbers/detail/type_traits.hpp b/include/boost/safe_numbers/detail/type_traits.hpp
index 210dce1..389242b 100644
--- a/include/boost/safe_numbers/detail/type_traits.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/safe_numbers/detail/type_traits.hpp
@@ -55,6 +55,14 @@ struct underlying<bounded_uint<Min, Max>>
 
 } // namespace impl
 
+// Promotes an unsigned integer to the next higher type
+// uint128_t becomes bool so that we can static_assert on bool check that we can't widen uint128_t
+template <unsigned_integral T>
+using promoted_type = std::conditional_t<std::is_same_v<T, std::uint8_t>, std::uint16_t,
+                          std::conditional_t<std::is_same_v<T, std::uint16_t>, std::uint32_t,
+                              std::conditional_t<std::is_same_v<T, std::uint32_t>, std::uint64_t,
+                                  std::conditional_t<std::is_same_v<T, std::uint64_t>, int128::uint128_t, bool>>>>;
+
 } // namespace boost::safe_numbers::detail
 
 #endif // BOOST_SAFE_NUMBERS_DETAIL_TYPE_TRAITS_HPP
diff --git a/include/boost/safe_numbers/detail/unsigned_integer_basis.hpp b/include/boost/safe_numbers/detail/unsigned_integer_basis.hpp
index 4555f9c..0ebc47a 100644
--- a/include/boost/safe_numbers/detail/unsigned_integer_basis.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/safe_numbers/detail/unsigned_integer_basis.hpp
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 
 #include <boost/safe_numbers/detail/config.hpp>
 #include <boost/safe_numbers/detail/concepts.hpp>
+#include <boost/safe_numbers/detail/type_traits.hpp>
 #include <boost/safe_numbers/overflow_policy.hpp>
 
 #ifndef BOOST_SAFE_NUMBERS_BUILD_MODULE
@@ -344,10 +345,25 @@ struct add_helper<overflow_policy::wrapping, BasisType>
     }
 };
 
+// Partial specialization for widening policy
+template <unsigned_integral BasisType>
+struct add_helper<overflow_policy::widen, BasisType>
+{
+    [[nodiscard]] static constexpr auto apply(const unsigned_integer_basis<BasisType> lhs,
+                                              const unsigned_integer_basis<BasisType> rhs) noexcept
+    {
+        using promoted_type = promoted_type<BasisType>;
+        static_assert(!std::is_same_v<promoted_type, bool>, "Widening policy with uint128_t is not supported");
+
+        using result_type = unsigned_integer_basis<promoted_type>;
+        return result_type{static_cast<promoted_type>(static_cast<promoted_type>(lhs) + rhs)};
+    }
+};
+
 template <overflow_policy Policy, unsigned_integral BasisType>
 [[nodiscard]] constexpr auto add_impl(const unsigned_integer_basis<BasisType> lhs,
                                       const unsigned_integer_basis<BasisType> rhs)
-    noexcept(Policy == overflow_policy::saturate || Policy == overflow_policy::overflow_tuple || Policy == overflow_policy::checked || Policy == overflow_policy::wrapping || Policy == overflow_policy::strict)
+    noexcept(Policy == overflow_policy::saturate || Policy == overflow_policy::overflow_tuple || Policy == overflow_policy::checked || Policy == overflow_policy::wrapping || Policy == overflow_policy::strict || Policy == overflow_policy::widen)
 {
     return add_helper<Policy, BasisType>::apply(lhs, rhs);
 }
@@ -981,10 +997,25 @@ struct mul_helper<overflow_policy::wrapping, BasisType>
     }
 };
 
+// Partial specialization for widening policy
+template <unsigned_integral BasisType>
+struct mul_helper<overflow_policy::widen, BasisType>
+{
+    [[nodiscard]] static constexpr auto apply(const unsigned_integer_basis<BasisType> lhs,
+                                              const unsigned_integer_basis<BasisType> rhs) noexcept
+    {
+        using promoted_type = promoted_type<BasisType>;
+        static_assert(!std::is_same_v<promoted_type, bool>, "Widening policy with uint128_t is not supported");
+
+        using result_type = unsigned_integer_basis<promoted_type>;
+        return result_type{static_cast<promoted_type>(static_cast<promoted_type>(lhs) * rhs)};
+    }
+};
+
 template <overflow_policy Policy, unsigned_integral BasisType>
 [[nodiscard]] constexpr auto mul_impl(const unsigned_integer_basis<BasisType> lhs,
                                       const unsigned_integer_basis<BasisType> rhs)
-    noexcept(Policy == overflow_policy::saturate || Policy == overflow_policy::overflow_tuple || Policy == overflow_policy::checked || Policy == overflow_policy::wrapping || Policy == overflow_policy::strict)
+    noexcept(Policy == overflow_policy::saturate || Policy == overflow_policy::overflow_tuple || Policy == overflow_policy::checked || Policy == overflow_policy::wrapping || Policy == overflow_policy::strict || Policy == overflow_policy::widen)
 {
     return mul_helper<Policy, BasisType>::apply(lhs, rhs);
 }
@@ -1637,6 +1668,24 @@ template <detail::unsigned_integral BasisType>
 
 BOOST_SAFE_NUMBERS_DEFINE_MIXED_UNSIGNED_INTEGER_OP("strict modulo", strict_mod)
 
+template <detail::unsigned_integral BasisType>
+[[nodiscard]] constexpr auto widening_add(const detail::unsigned_integer_basis<BasisType> lhs,
+                                          const detail::unsigned_integer_basis<BasisType> rhs) noexcept
+{
+    return detail::add_impl<overflow_policy::widen>(lhs, rhs);
+}
+
+BOOST_SAFE_NUMBERS_DEFINE_MIXED_UNSIGNED_INTEGER_OP("widening add", widening_add)
+
+template <detail::unsigned_integral BasisType>
+[[nodiscard]] constexpr auto widening_mul(const detail::unsigned_integer_basis<BasisType> lhs,
+                                          const detail::unsigned_integer_basis<BasisType> rhs) noexcept
+{
+    return detail::mul_impl<overflow_policy::widen>(lhs, rhs);
+}
+
+BOOST_SAFE_NUMBERS_DEFINE_MIXED_UNSIGNED_INTEGER_OP("widening mul", widening_mul)
+
 // ------------------------------
 // Generic policy-parameterized functions
 // ------------------------------
@@ -1670,6 +1719,14 @@ template <overflow_policy Policy, detail::unsigned_integral BasisType>
     {
         return strict_add(lhs, rhs);
     }
+    else if constexpr (Policy == overflow_policy::widen)
+    {
+        return widening_add(lhs, rhs);
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        static_assert(detail::dependent_false<BasisType>, "Policy is not supported for addition");
+    }
 }
 
 template <overflow_policy Policy, detail::unsigned_integral BasisType>
@@ -1701,6 +1758,10 @@ template <overflow_policy Policy, detail::unsigned_integral BasisType>
     {
         return strict_sub(lhs, rhs);
     }
+    else
+    {
+        static_assert(detail::dependent_false<BasisType>, "Policy is not supported for subtraction");
+    }
 }
 
 template <overflow_policy Policy, detail::unsigned_integral BasisType>
@@ -1732,6 +1793,14 @@ template <overflow_policy Policy, detail::unsigned_integral BasisType>
     {
         return strict_mul(lhs, rhs);
     }
+    else if constexpr (Policy == overflow_policy::widen)
+    {
+        return widening_mul(lhs, rhs);
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        static_assert(detail::dependent_false<BasisType>, "Policy is not supported for multiplication");
+    }
 }
 
 template <overflow_policy Policy, detail::unsigned_integral BasisType>
@@ -1763,6 +1832,10 @@ template <overflow_policy Policy, detail::unsigned_integral BasisType>
     {
         return strict_div(lhs, rhs);
     }
+    else
+    {
+        static_assert(detail::dependent_false<BasisType>, "Policy is not supported for division");
+    }
 }
 
 template <overflow_policy Policy, detail::unsigned_integral BasisType>
@@ -1794,6 +1867,10 @@ template <overflow_policy Policy, detail::unsigned_integral BasisType>
     {
         return strict_mod(lhs, rhs);
     }
+    else
+    {
+        static_assert(detail::dependent_false<BasisType>, "Policy is not supported for modulo");
+    }
 }
 
 } // namespace boost::safe_numbers
diff --git a/include/boost/safe_numbers/overflow_policy.hpp b/include/boost/safe_numbers/overflow_policy.hpp
index 7a3dd32..09c15cc 100644
--- a/include/boost/safe_numbers/overflow_policy.hpp
+++ b/include/boost/safe_numbers/overflow_policy.hpp
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ enum class overflow_policy
     checked,
     wrapping,
     strict,
+    widen,
 };
 
 } // namespace boost::safe_numbers