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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Jhené and Jamila know curiosity can quickly metastasize unless it’s pointed in the right direction. —

T.m. Brown, Billboard, 29 Dec. 2021 Cysts can metastasize to other regions of the body as well. —

Rebecca Kreston, Discover Magazine, 26 Jan. 2012 Breast cancers that metastasize to the brain are usually deadly, but a team based at the University of Mississippi Medical Center has discovered a possible fix: a tiny fragment of genetic material known as microRNA. —

Kat Mcgowan, Discover Magazine, 24 Jan. 2014 And mountainous national debt means any government can wind up in explosive financial crisis that could metastasize across Europe. —

Stefano Pitrelli, Washington Post, 25 Sep. 2022 As climate change worsens, water gets more scarce and the land becomes hotter, drier and harder to live upon, this discontent could very well metastasize into violence. —

Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2022 Melanoma can commonly metastasize to the heart and cause cardiac complications and disease. —

Jenna Curcio, Allure, 8 Sep. 2022 Minor issues will bloom into major headaches; major issues will metastasize into expensive nightmares. —

Erik Shani, Forbes, 16 Aug. 2022 International leaders appear to be bracing for an extended period of conflict, warning on Friday that the global threats posed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could metastasize in the weeks and months ahead. —

Washington Post, 6 May 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'metastasize.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.