enlarge

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb enlarge contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of enlarge are augment, increase, and multiply. While all these words mean "to make or become greater," enlarge implies expansion or extension that makes greater in size or capacity.

enlarged the kitchen

In what contexts can augment take the place of enlarge?

Although the words augment and enlarge have much in common, augment implies addition to what is already well grown or well developed.

the inheritance augmented his fortune

When might increase be a better fit than enlarge?

The words increase and enlarge are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, increase used intransitively implies progressive growth in size, amount, or intensity; used transitively it may imply simple not necessarily progressive addition.

his waistline increased with age
increased her landholdings

Where would multiply be a reasonable alternative to enlarge?

While in some cases nearly identical to enlarge, multiply implies increase in number by natural generation or by indefinite repetition of a process.

with each attempt the problems multiplied

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 enlarge Colonization of the western half of North America enlarged not only the geographic size of the United States, but also its demographic composition. Literary Hub, 9 June 2025 When Biden assumed office, his administration sought to enlarge the ACA program and counter several of the changes implemented by the first Trump administration that had shrunk its size. Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025 Over time, the nearly circular 75-mile-wide (120 kilometers) depression has been eroded by water and ice, enlarging it to nearly twice its initial size. Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 6 June 2025 It is characterized by irregular menstrual cycles, excess androgen (male hormone) levels, and polycystic ovaries, which are enlarged ovaries containing numerous small cysts. Advertorial, Oc Register, 5 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for enlarge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enlarge
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
  • However, as has been the case with other annual shopping events, retailers expanded the promotional period to start May 13, a week earlier than in 2024, before ending June 18.
    Bernice Ooi, CNBC, 20 June 2025
Verb
  • Philip Andrew Douglass, 42, was freed on bond after an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge David Keesler.
    Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 21 June 2025
  • Short of the savings being placed in a much bigger coffee can, government spending cuts born of efficiency, headcount reduction, mandate reduction, or all three would have just freed up money for Congress to spend in new ways.
    John Tamny, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025
Verb
  • The water pressure then causes the vehicle to rise and slide on a thin layer of water between the tires and the road, making the driver lose control.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 28 June 2025
  • Foodborne illnesses can spike in the summer months, especially given the higher temperatures and rise in outdoor dining like picnics and cookouts.
    Hannah Yasharoff, USA Today, 28 June 2025
Verb
  • Putting oneself in those situations that challenge conversational comfort zones and embracing discomfort, tension and unresolved conflicts accelerates growth significantly.
    Chris Schembra, Rolling Stone, 26 June 2025
  • This can accelerate aging and increase the risk for diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers.
    Essence, Essence, 26 June 2025
Verb
  • Their freedom came more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln liberated slaves in the Confederacy by signing the Emancipation Proclamation during the Civil War.
    Ani Freedman, Fortune, 20 June 2025
  • Two-and-a-half years after Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, the enslaved people of Texas learned — via the victorious Union Army — that they were liberated.
    New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 19 June 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
  • Earlier this month, as anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles began to swell in size and fury, the Department of Homeland Security posted a video of an immigration raid in El Monte, California.
    Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 20 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

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Cite this Entry

“Enlarge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enlarge. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.

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