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 Amlodipine Amlodipine is used to treat high blood pressure by blocking the entry of calcium into the blood vessels, which dilates them and reduces blood pressure. Mira Miller, Verywell Health, 25 Aug. 2025 Upon examination, the patient's eyes were bloodshot and his pupil was fixed and dilated. Sabienna Bowman, People.com, 21 Aug. 2025 In dim light, cat pupils dilate into circles, humanizing their eyes. Tao Lin, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025 The patient’s eye does not even need to be dilated. Melanie Marshall, Oc Register, 23 July 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
  • The pup’s abdomen was firm and distended.
    Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • According to the notice, the site uses a misleading logo, charges inflated prices and buries a disclaimer far down the page that does not meet state requirements.
    Nour Rahal, Freep.com, 26 Sep. 2025
  • Conversely, a drop-off in imports over the second quarter may have inflated the second-quarter GDP figure.
    Max Zahn, ABC News, 25 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • In months, not years, utilities are already seeing the benefits of AI tools designed to augment human decision-making.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 27 Sep. 2025
  • The sequence augmented took place at a wedding between two men, with AI editing swapping one man’s face for a woman’s.
    Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • In 2024, that number increased just slightly—by less than 1%—compared to the year before.
    Chantelle Lee, Time, 30 Sep. 2025
  • Johnson’s detractors accuse him of championing Bukele despite his increasing abuses of power.
    T. Christian Miller, ProPublica, 30 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The Educational Freedom Accounts program significantly expand state taxpayer funding of student tuition and other costs related to private schools and some home-school expenses.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Oct. 2025
  • This is a sister organization to the Heritage Foundation, the think tank behind Project 2025—a sweeping conservative policy blueprint aimed at reshaping the federal government by expanding presidential power, dismantling parts of the civil service, and rolling back regulations across agencies.
    Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In a case from the 1990s, the city of Tigard, Oregon, demanded that, to enlarge her store, the owner of a plumbing supply business had to give up riverfront property and build a bike path.
    James Burling, Oc Register, 25 Sep. 2025
  • Look for draining or enlarging wounds, as well as signs of discomfort.
    Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 24 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Humberto is expected to bring long period swells to the Atlantic Coast, creating life-threatening surf and currents, according to the National Weather Service.
    Julia Gomez, USA Today, 26 Sep. 2025
  • Both swell and surf will begin to gradually lower late Tuesday.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 26 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • This project secures funding through the Critical Design Review phase, procurement of long lead material for qualification, and will enable increased and accelerated capacity for solid rocket motor production, according to a press release.
    Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 27 Sep. 2025
  • Government initiatives have accelerated this shift.
    Li Jun, Footwear News, 26 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Dilate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dilate. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on dilate

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