expanse

noun

ex·​panse ik-ˈspan(t)s 

1

: firmament

2

: great extent of something spread out

an expanse of calm ocean

Synonyms of expanse

• expansion
• stretch
• length

Examples of expanse in a Sentence

The explorer gazed across the vast Arctic expanse.

the great explorers who crossed the vast expanses of the seven seas in small ships

Recent Examples on the Web

The wistful 18th-century folk ballad—all about taking the high road or the low road back to the country’s largest and arguably most romantic expanse of water—has cropped up everywhere from The Simpsons to, well, every Scottish wedding on earth. — Liam Hess, Vogue, 3 Nov. 2026

Jones owned thousands of acres of land on early Long Island, then just a rural expanse well east of the rapidly growing New York City. — ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026

Jones owned thousands of acres of land on early Long Island, then just a rural expanse east of the rapidly growing New York City. — Philip Marcelo, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026

Away from the shore, the tundra is barren, a broad expanse of moss, lichen, and exposed rock. — Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026

Word History

Etymology

New Latin expansum, from Latin, neuter of expansus, past participle of expandere

First Known Use

1667, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for expanse

• advance
• askance
• enhance
• finance
• freelance
• mischance
• perchance
• romance
• chance
• dance
• glance
• hance

Kids Definition

expanse

noun

ex·​panse ik-ˈspan(t)s 

: a wide space, area, or stretch

the vast expanse of the ocean