Definition of expanse
1 : firmament
2 : great extent of something spread out an expanse of calm ocean
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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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At $2 each (roughly $60 today), photographs were costly, and in America’s open expanses, studios were miles away from most households.
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Up pops a page with 74 listings for motels, cabins and lodges, covering an expanse from Madras to Sisters to Bend — taking in a wide swath of Central Oregon.
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The men are running to represent a large, Republican-leaning expanse of Miami-Dade County that stretches south from Doral to Kendall.
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And perhaps there is no place better than Alaska's grand expanse to fade into the background, with its Libertarian leanings and stay-out-of-my-business mindset.
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The outside of this house is clad in Cembonit, a kind of dyed stain-proof synthetic wood, and that flat textured expanse mirrors the clean walls inside.
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Lee’s Summit comes in at No. 59 — possibly for the sandy expanses along Lake Jacomo.
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The ozone layer—a high-altitude expanse of oxygen molecules that protects us from the sun’s ultraviolet rays—has been on the mend for the past decade or so.
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The Frontier State senator wants to ensure Medicaid funding for her far-flung residents, whose health care costs run high in part because of Alaska's expanse and isolation.
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
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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