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
During the dry season of April to December, the water evaporates to reveal the wide expanse of white salt.
—
Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 19 Jan. 2026
Sitting at the western tip of one of Abu Dhabi’s many coastal islands, Saadiyat Cultural District’s transformation from an expanse of featureless sand into the home of one of the world’s most ambitious cultural projects has taken almost two decades.
—Clare Dight, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Jan. 2026
Not just in popularity, his expanse.
—Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 19 Jan. 2026
For two years in the late 1990s, the Danish elite special forces soldier patrolled the vast, frozen expanses of Greenland’s uninhabited northeastern corner, often with only eleven dogs and one fellow soldier for company.
—Lisa Abend, Time, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for expanse
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Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 19 Jan. 2026
Sitting at the western tip of one of Abu Dhabi’s many coastal islands, Saadiyat Cultural District’s transformation from an expanse of featureless sand into the home of one of the world’s most ambitious cultural projects has taken almost two decades.
—Clare Dight, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Jan. 2026
Not just in popularity, his expanse.
—Erin Clack, PEOPLE, 19 Jan. 2026
For two years in the late 1990s, the Danish elite special forces soldier patrolled the vast, frozen expanses of Greenland’s uninhabited northeastern corner, often with only eleven dogs and one fellow soldier for company.
—Lisa Abend, Time, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for expanse
Cite this Entry
“Expanse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/expanse. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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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