expanse

noun

ex·​panse ik-ˈspan(t)s 

1

: firmament

2

: great extent of something spread out

an expanse of calm ocean

Synonyms

• 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

Nowadays, these routes and addresses can sometimes call to my mind the Camino Real—the old Spanish road lost and buried but commuted upon daily—or that mythic expanse of the Mediterranean where Odysseus lost his way and people live and work to this day. —Manuel Muñoz, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025

Solarization is the process of killing a lawn or an expanse of weeds by soaking it with a hose or a sprinkler system and then covering it with clear plastic, held down by rocks or bricks. —Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 11 Sep. 2025

Hawaii is also a tiny target in a vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean. —Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025

For years, the expanse of dirt and weeds had served as a convenient location for locals to dump trash. —Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1637, 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