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 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 At the scene, Durham appeared to be unsteady on his feet, slurred his speech and had dilated pupils, according to an arrest affidavit. Brad Schmitt, The Tennessean, 16 July 2025 Michael passed away in 2016 from heart failure due to dilated cardiomyopathy with myocarditis and a fatty liver. Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 13 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
  • Anything short of that will only deepen inefficiencies, inflate costs and exacerbate environmental harm.
    Lee-Lean Shu, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Three electric blowers inflate the bellows.
    Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Leaders must pair intelligence with intention, ensuring AI augments humanity, not replaces it.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
  • The Little Market is meant to augment the larger restaurant.
    Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Start with once daily, and if your skin can handle it, gradually increase to two or three times per week.
    Lily Wohlner, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
  • When a La Niña phase occurs, less wind shear occurs in the regions of the Atlantic basin where tropical weather develops, increasing the potential for more storms, AccuWeather said.
    Doyle Rice, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Under the agreement, Cracker Barrel expanded its board from 10 to 11 members and appointed Jody Bilney, one of Biglari’s preferred nominees, as an independent director.
    Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 18 Sep. 2025
  • Among them are Russia's ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia's growing threat to NATO's eastern flank and the war in Gaza, where Israel's offensive on Gaza City is expanding as the two leaders meet.
    David Brennan, ABC News, 18 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Traditional prints are being enlarged to create bold, graphic statements and a gallery-like presence.
    Sophie Flaxman, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Anything that perturbs or enlarges the prostate could in theory increase PSA levels.
    Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • That swell at Mavericks, a half mile off the coast of Half Moon Bay, hit two days before Christmas, on the same day and amid the same storm that destroyed the Santa Cruz Wharf.
    Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 13 Sep. 2025
  • As guests swelled outside the dining room, Chow and Osbourne led the lively room in a toast to New York and invitation to continue on to the comedy show.
    Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 13 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The Department of War created a new task force in August to accelerate counter-drone development.
    Joseph Nepomuceno, The Washington Examiner, 13 Sep. 2025
  • The nanophotonic device could accelerate advances in communications, precision measurement, and even environmental monitoring.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 13 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Dilate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dilate. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on dilate

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