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

These examples cumulatively show that union power in county government has metastasized. —U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 May 2026

Nearly 80 percent of cases are diagnosed at Stage 3 or 4, meaning the cancer has metastasized to distant locations. —Nami Mun, The Atlantic, 16 May 2026

With his excellence metastasized in the spirit of Edwards and his Timberwolves, Wembanyama didn’t need to be masterful. —Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 16 May 2026

Newton-John died at age 73 in 2022 of cancer that had metastasized throughout her body. —Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 15 May 2026

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