as in expansion
a wide space or area
the great explorers who crossed the vast expanses of the seven seas in small ships
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of expanse
The world's largest whale graveyard has been discovered at the bottom of the Indian Ocean by Chinese scientists, who found that the vast expanse of both new and ancient carcasses supports huge communities of deep-sea life.
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CBS News,
10 June 2026
The Okefenokee swamp's prairies are vast, watery expanses dotted with floating islands and stands of cypress and other trees.
—
Aj Willingham,
AJC.com,
9 June 2026
Just over twenty years ago, in April 2006, British media gave generous space to film and photographs of a sled hauled over a vast expanse of snow by a team of six huskies.
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Fintan O’Toole,
The New York Review of Books,
9 June 2026
Looking out at an endless expanse of ocean blue while the foaming tide rolls in is enough to put anyone in a vacation state of mind.
—
Jessica Puckett,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for expanse
CBS News,
10 June 2026
The Okefenokee swamp's prairies are vast, watery expanses dotted with floating islands and stands of cypress and other trees.
—
Aj Willingham,
AJC.com,
9 June 2026
Just over twenty years ago, in April 2006, British media gave generous space to film and photographs of a sled hauled over a vast expanse of snow by a team of six huskies.
—
Fintan O’Toole,
The New York Review of Books,
9 June 2026
Looking out at an endless expanse of ocean blue while the foaming tide rolls in is enough to put anyone in a vacation state of mind.
—
Jessica Puckett,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for expanse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expanse
Noun
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The state expansion also means protection for the rare riparian forest.
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The University of Pittsburgh’s record-setting growth is reshaping both its campus and Oakland, as the university leans into a long-term expansion plan that adds student beds, new facilities and economic heft to one of Pennsylvania’s busiest urban districts.
Noun
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But Emerald Bay is gate-guarded, accessible only to residents, and its half-mile stretch of golden sand is bordered by the cliffs of two jutting points, geographically cutting off public access via other beaches.
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Series of shootings Sanchez-Munoz is accused in a series of shootings along a stretch of Kansas City roadways that included Interstate 670, Interstate 70 and Truman Road on Tuesday evening.
Noun
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Owing to several conditions—new vetting procedures, ICE arrests of sponsors going through that vetting, and lack of access to lawyers (waitlists for pro-bono counsel are in the thousands)—a child’s average length of detention jumped to four months in 2025, up from just one month the year before.
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Letters will be edited for clarity and length.
Cite this Entry
“Expanse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expanse. Accessed 27 Jun. 2026.
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