expanse

noun

ex·​panse ik-ˈspan(t)s 

1

: firmament

2

: great extent of something spread out

an expanse of calm ocean

Synonyms of expanse

• 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

With 17 museums dedicated to everything from science and architecture to world music and Comic Con spread throughout a 1,200-acre expanse, Balboa Park has enough going on to keep you busy for a whole visit. — Sarah Khan, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Nov. 2026

Mohammad Irfan moved here from the country’s West three years ago to open a motorcycle repair shop, which is now a flat expanse of sand and gravel. — Aakash Hassan, Christian Science Monitor, 11 Nov. 2026

The crowds scattered across a large expanse of the west end of the same runway that saw 78 space shuttle orbiters touch down. — Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Nov. 2026

The wistful 18th-century folk ballad—all about taking the high road or the low road back to the country’s largest and arguably most romantic expanse of water—has cropped up everywhere from The Simpsons to, well, every Scottish wedding on earth. — Liam Hess, Vogue, 3 Nov. 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1667, 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