distend

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb distend differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of distend are amplify, dilate, expand, inflate, and swell. While all these words mean "to increase in size or volume," distend implies outward extension caused by pressure from within.

a distended abdomen

When can amplify be used instead of distend?

The words amplify and distend can be used in similar contexts, but amplify implies the extension or enlargement of something inadequate.

amplify the statement with details

When might dilate be a better fit than distend?

The words dilate and distend are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, dilate applies especially to expansion of circumference.

dilated pupils

In what contexts can expand take the place of distend?

Although the words expand and distend 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 distend?

The meanings of inflate and distend largely overlap; however, inflate implies expanding by introduction of air or something insubstantial and suggests a vulnerability to sudden collapse.

an inflated ego

When is swell a more appropriate choice than distend?

While the synonyms swell and distend are close in meaning, 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 distend 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 The Most Exciting New Advances in Managing COPD With another strategy, diaphragmatic breathing, patients concentrate on distending their abdomen while taking in air. Matt Fuchs, TIME, 24 Oct. 2024 Abdominal bloating is when the stomach feels full of gas and may become distended (sticks out). Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 14 Sep. 2024 His stomach was distended — a sign of severe malnutrition. Joe Snell, Washington Post, 30 July 2024 The dress had been constructed from a boudoir-ish bodice, which distended into a full-skirted ballgown, giving the impression of deliberate deshabillé, as if the design had been left unfinished on the mannequin. Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 17 Apr. 2024 Their heads are twizzling, their eyes bulging, their teeth ground to the gums, their bowels distended. Brian T. Allen, National Review, 23 Dec. 2023 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distend
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
  • 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
  • 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
  • For the test, your provider will place drops in your pupils to dilate (widen) them, which gives a clearer view of your eye structures.
    Lindsay Curtis, Health, 10 Sep. 2025
  • As the images progress, the left pupil shrinks to a narrow black speck while the right eye remains normally dilated, giving the feline an unmistakably lopsided expression.
    Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Distend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distend. Accessed 3 Oct. 2025.

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