dilate

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb dilate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of dilate are amplify, distend, expand, inflate, and swell. While all these words mean "to increase in size or volume," dilate applies especially to expansion of circumference.

dilated pupils

When is amplify a more appropriate choice than dilate?

In some situations, the words amplify and dilate are roughly equivalent. However, amplify implies the extension or enlargement of something inadequate.

amplify the statement with details

When can distend be used instead of dilate?

The words distend and dilate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, distend implies outward extension caused by pressure from within.

a distended abdomen

Where would expand be a reasonable alternative to dilate?

Although the words expand and dilate have much in common, expand may apply regardless of the manner of increase (such as growth, unfolding, addition of parts).

a business that expands every year

When is it sensible to use inflate instead of dilate?

The synonyms inflate and dilate are sometimes interchangeable, but inflate implies expanding by introduction of air or something insubstantial and suggests a vulnerability to sudden collapse.

an inflated ego

When would swell be a good substitute for dilate?

The words swell and dilate can be used in similar contexts, but swell implies gradual expansion beyond a thing's original or normal limits.

the bureaucracy swelled to unmanageable proportions

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dilate Several tests allow ophthalmologists or optometrists to make a diagnosis: Fundus exam: Part of the standard eye exam, the healthcare provider uses special drops to dilate your pupils. Mark Gurarie, Verywell Health, 7 Apr. 2025 Before the procedure, your eye doctor will use eye drops to dilate your pupil and numb your eyes to reduce discomfort. Lindsay Curtis, Health, 6 Apr. 2025 During an eye exam, an eye doctor (ophthalmologist or optometrist) may use drops to temporarily dilate the pupil to see inside the eye.7 Symptoms With miosis, either one or both pupils may be abnormally small. Maxine Lipner, Verywell Health, 19 Mar. 2025 And times dilate, or lengthen, by a factor of γ, for any object-in-motion relative to their otherwise stationary surroundings. Big Think, 28 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for dilate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dilate
Verb
  • The effect is to both collapse and distend time until all the souls in the book, most of them nameless anyway, exist at the same time, in the same place, forever.
    Emily Temple, Literary Hub, 3 Mar. 2025
  • Isaiah was also malnourished and dehydrated at the time of his death, with his small and large intestines markedly distended.
    Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 22 Mar. 2017
Verb
  • Ukraine claimed to have shot down or neutralized 475 of the 537 drones and missiles fired, though Ukraine and Russia are known to inflate the effectiveness of their air defense capabilities.
    Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 29 June 2025
  • The backlog has inflated the jail population by 13%, pushing it from 6,722 on Feb. 15 before the strike began to 7,605 as of Thursday, Vera Institute records show.
    Graham Rayman, New York Daily News, 29 June 2025
Verb
  • This is the first of a new type of rideshare program flying to that orbit that augments SpaceX’s Transporter program that flies to SSO.
    Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 June 2025
  • Next, executives will pull draft decks, key performance indicators (KPIs) and reports from internal systems and augment them with AI summarization of complex documents into executive digests.
    Paroon Chadha, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
Verb
  • Ratcliffe has since increased his stake to nearly 30 per cent after spending a further $300m on new shares.
    Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 19 June 2025
  • The increasing supply of NPs and PAs could offset this primary care shortfall if their capabilities were fully utilized.
    Web Golinkin, Forbes.com, 19 June 2025
Verb
  • Most significantly, 62% say their responsibilities have expanded significantly beyond their core reporting roles, with 37% reporting layoffs or buyouts at their organizations in the past year.
    Lilian Raji, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
  • Hackers over the years have expanded their target list to include cities and municipalities, hospitals, hotels and casinos, as reported by CBS News' 60 Minutes.
    Anne Marie D. Lee, CBS News, 20 June 2025
Verb
  • This was to enlarge the area of protection around Chaco Canyon, which is sacred to many Indian tribes.
    Ian Dexter Palmer, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
  • Putin’s conditions for ending the war in Ukraine include a demand that Western leaders pledge in writing to stop enlarging NATO eastwards.
    Alexis Simendinger, The Hill, 29 May 2025
Verb
  • LoPresti said southern flannel moths sting through venomous hairs that can cause burning, numbness, swelling, and in severe cases, nausea or full-limb inflammation.
    Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 23 June 2025
  • After age 40, nearly 1 in 4 adults will eventually develop arthritis in their knees, with cartilage breakdown leading to pain, swelling, and stiffness that can make simple activities like walking or climbing stairs difficult.
    Emily Kay Votruba, EverydayHealth.com, 20 June 2025
Verb
  • This can accelerate aging and increase the risk for diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.
    Essence, Essence, 26 June 2025
  • India’s space ambitions have accelerated under Modi, who was elected to a third term last June and has tried to assert India’s place on the global stage.
    Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 26 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Dilate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dilate. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.

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