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
  • Speakers said recent actions by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials had provoked increasing concern over the safety of local residents attending the Club World Cup games this summer at Hard Rock Stadium.
    CD Goette-Luciak, Miami Herald, 1 July 2025
  • In recent weeks, the Trump administration has arrested an increasing number of migrants with no criminal convictions, according to an ABC News analysis of Immigration and Customs Enforcement data.
    Laura Romero, ABC News, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • Really expand that, but that's part of the process.
    DJ Siddiqi, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • Romanticize your sleep with Tekla’s dainty bedding Since launching in 2017, Tekla has expanded from bedding into sleepwear, bathroom sets, and more.
    Stephanie Sporn, Vogue, 1 July 2025
Verb
  • Protests in Israel also resumed after a two-week pause during the Israel-Iran war, with demonstrators demanding a deal that would free the hostages still in Gaza.
    Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 30 June 2025
  • But the pending Senate bill keeps the door wide open, effectively freeing very wealthy business owners from any cap on their SALT deductions.
    Howard Gleckman, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
Verb
  • 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
  • Refill and reuse is a rising movement: both a return to commonsense practices our grandparents knew — and a path forward toward innovation.
    Rachel Bustamante, Baltimore Sun, 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
  • Throughout the 1960s, New York City’s financial sector boomed, yet simultaneously, poverty rates soared, deindustrialization accelerated, and housing costs skyrocketed.
    Daniel Wortel-London, New York Daily News, 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
  • After the game, there seemed to be bruising and swelling around it.
    Brendan Kuty, New York Times, 6 July 2025
  • The common symptoms include swelling of lymph nodes, fever, tiredness, night sweats, weight loss, and itchy skin.
    Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 July 2025
Verb
  • Edwards and Lopez flipping positions has augmented Miami defensively, and Edwards has continued to hit (.283, .358 on base).
    Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 30 June 2025
  • That starts with understanding customers' needs, using agents to augment the work sellers do and then providing sales coaching on the go with a closed-loop learning system.
    Anand Shah, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Enlarge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enlarge. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.

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