expand

1 to express more fully and in greater detail <an article on the First Ladies that the author later expanded into a book> Synonyms amplify, develop, dilate (on or upon), elaborate (on), enlarge (on or upon), flesh (out) Related Words add (to), complement, supplement; discourse, expatiate, ramble, run on Near Antonyms compress, contract; outline, summarize, sum up Antonyms abbreviate, abridge, condense, shorten

2 to make greater in size, amount, or number <we had to expand the list of wedding guests several times in order to accommodate all the relatives Mother wouldn't dream of excluding> Synonyms accelerate, add (to), aggrandize, amplify, augment, boost, build up, compound, enlarge, escalate, increase, extend, hype, multiply, pump up, raise, swell, stoke, supersize, upRelated Words boom, jump, skyrocket, spike; bump (up), ratchet (up) also rachet (up); blow up, dilate, distend, inflate; draw out, elongate, flesh (out), lengthen, prolong, protract, stretch; develop, enhance, heighten, intensify, magnify; complement, supplement; beef (up), reinforce (also reenforce), strengthen; maximize; accumulate, amass, collect; follow up, parlayNear Antonyms abbreviate, abridge, curtail, shorten; compress, condense, constrict, contract; cut back, retrenchAntonyms abate, decrease, de-escalate, diminish, downsize, dwindle, lessen, lower, minify, reduce, subtract (from)

3 to arrange the parts of (something) over a wider area <a spare leaf for those times when we have to expand the dining table to accommodate extra guests> Synonyms open, extend, fan (out), flare (out), outspread, outstretch, spread (out), stretch (out), unfold, unfurlRelated Words overspreadNear Antonyms compact, compress, condense, reduceAntonyms close, contract, fold

4 to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number <water expands when it becomes frozen> Synonyms accelerate, accumulate, appreciate, balloon, boom, build up, burgeon (also bourgeon), climb, enlarge, escalate, increase, gain, mount, multiply, mushroom, proliferate, rise, roll up, snowball, spread, swell, waxRelated Words jump, rocket, skyrocket, surge; heighten, intensify, redouble; blow up, bulk, distend, inflate, puff (up); crescendo, crest, peakAntonyms contract, decrease, diminish, dwindle, lessen, recede, wane