metastasize

verb

me·​tas·​ta·​size mə-ˈta-stə-ˌsīz 

metastasized; metastasizing

intransitive verb

: to spread or grow by or as if by metastasis

… died of lung cancer which had metastasized throughout his body.

—G. P. Elliott

Examples of metastasize in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Prostate cancer that has metastasized and spread to other parts of the body has a survival rate of about 38%, according to the Mayo Clinic. —Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 25 Nov. 2025

Antisemitism has roots in extremes on both the right and the left and metastasizes into the spaces in between as long as mainstreaming and normalization of antisemitism continues. —Dr. Jacqueline A. Hart, Boston Herald, 22 Nov. 2025

The strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities were seemingly successful and did not metastasize into a wider war. —W. James Antle Iii, The Washington Examiner, 18 Nov. 2025

Since then, 764 has metastasized around the world, growing into more of an ideology than a singular group. —Mike Levine, ABC News, 18 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1907, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for metastasize

• actualize
• antagonize
• apologise
• apologize
• capitalize
• categorize
• characterize
• commercialize
• conceptualize
• contrariwise
• criminalize
• decentralize

Kids Definition

metastasize

verb

me·​tas·​ta·​size mə-ˈtas-tə-ˌsīz 

: to spread or grow by or as if by metastasis

Medical Definition

metastasize

intransitive verb

me·​tas·​ta·​size

variants also British metastasise

mə-ˈtas-tə-ˌsīz 

metastasized also British metastasised; metastasizing also British metastasising

: to spread by metastasis

… all ten were primary brain cancers; that is, they had originated in the brain, and not metastasized there from elsewhere in the body.

—Paul Brodeur, The New Yorker

metastasization noun

also British metastasisation

mə-ˌtas-tə-sə-ˈzā-shən