Definition of expanse
1 : firmament
2 : great extent of something spread out an expanse of calm ocean
From the M-W Editors
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 of expanse from the Web
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For car lovers, there is a detached, five-car garage as sleek as the main house, with large expanses of glass.
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Waze will now be pairing up drivers and passengers across a wider expanse that includes heavily congested highways in Los Angeles and other parts of southern California.
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This vast and often hilly expanse along Turkey’s southern border has become the rebels’ final redoubt.
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Been there 20 times or so over the years and the expanse of parking always amazes me.
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About 40,000 members of the Oglala Sioux tribe live here on this vast expanse of land that is roughly the size of Connecticut.
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Urs Fischer goes site-specific with a beautiful expanse of trompe l’oeil wallpaper that replicates drywall patterned with splotches of glue and interrupted by exposed beams and electrical conduit.
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Bunkered beneath the bucolic expanse of Blackberry Farm, the fabled gastro-utopia of the American South, lies a stockpile of intoxicants that ought to last for centuries.
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The technologies behind U.S. troops’ victories in the open expanses of the Mesopotamian deserts aren’t what’s triggering the fall of Saddam’s rule in the alleys and shadows of Baghdad.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'expanse'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of expanse
New Latin expansum, from Latin, neuter of expansus, past participle of expandere
First Known Use: 1637
EXPANSE Defined for English Language Learners
expanse
playDefinition of expanse for English Language Learners
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: a large and usually flat open space or area
EXPANSE Defined for Kids
expanse
playDefinition of expanse for Students
: a wide area or stretch an expanse of desert
Learn More about expanse
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See words that rhyme with expanse Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for expanse Spanish Central: Translation of expanse Nglish: Translation of expanse for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of expanse for Arabic speakers
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