expanse
noun
ex·panse
ik-ˈspan(t)s 
1
2
: great extent of something spread out
an expanse of calm ocean
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
In one image—a favorite of mine—a man lies on an expanse of sand, cradling a smiling child, whose drool is pooling on the man’s shirtless chest.
—
Chris Wiley, New Yorker, 20 Dec. 2025
European-style squares, by contrast, are expanses people can walk not just to, but also through and around.
—Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025
Outside in the lot, where the metal hordes are gathered, two large stages face each other across an expanse of a few hundred yards, and when a band (say, Gideon) stops playing at one end, another band (say, Full of Hell) starts up—immediately—at the other end.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 16 Dec. 2025
Rather than a barrier between north and south, Arab and African, civilized and uncivilized, the Sahara emerges as a varied landscape deeply enmeshed in trading, religious, and other networks that stretch beyond its vast expanse.
—Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for expanse
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Chris Wiley, New Yorker, 20 Dec. 2025
European-style squares, by contrast, are expanses people can walk not just to, but also through and around.
—Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025
Outside in the lot, where the metal hordes are gathered, two large stages face each other across an expanse of a few hundred yards, and when a band (say, Gideon) stops playing at one end, another band (say, Full of Hell) starts up—immediately—at the other end.
—James Parker, The Atlantic, 16 Dec. 2025
Rather than a barrier between north and south, Arab and African, civilized and uncivilized, the Sahara emerges as a varied landscape deeply enmeshed in trading, religious, and other networks that stretch beyond its vast expanse.
—Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for expanse
Cite this Entry
“Expanse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expanse. Accessed 29 Dec. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
expanse
noun
ex·panse
ik-ˈspan(t)s
: a wide space, area, or stretch
the vast expanse of the ocean
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