as in expands
to make or become larger especially because of pressure from inside
The illness can cause the stomach to distend.
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for distends
Verb
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The film expands Haig’s play and includes additional characters and sequences, including the actual D-day invasion.—
Emily Zemler,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026 -
And yet as the series expands from and twists around its simple horror concept (a wedding at the groom-to-be’s family house in the woods is fated for a titular dark catastrophe), Morrone’s performance as Rachel is able to shoulder the weight of quite a bit of backstory and a complicated endgame.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
Verb
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The beach town swells with visitors in the summer, though surfers flock here any time of year for the classic surf break Plage de Lafitenia and big waves surf spot Belharra.—
Anne Olivia Bauso,
Travel + Leisure,
21 May 2026
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Throughout, visiting tourist Madeleine (Kristen Stewart) stuffs her face with every kind of meat, vegetable and carb while her father Phil (Woody Harrelson) is the one whose stomach miraculously swells.—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
17 May 2026
Verb
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This increases your visibility to potential rescuers.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
3 June 2026
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Brain activity also increases during a stress response, making movements which are usually automatic less so, and perhaps even slower.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Distends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/distends. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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