1
as in to increase
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number
as the number of people with cell phones enlarges, more transmission towers will have to be built
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Relevance
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2
as in to expand
to make greater in size, amount, or number
with a new member of the family on the way, maybe we should consider enlarging the house
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3
as in to free
to set free (as from slavery or confinement)
like a wild animal enlarged from a leghold trap, the freed prisoner raced about
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as in to develop
to express more fully and in greater detail
in your complaint, don't just say that your neighbor has been harassing you; enlarge on what you mean by that
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of enlarge
Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 June 2025
After renovations that enlarged that space and added shelving on three sides, the overflow room became the always-flowing room, one of the sets for Hurwitz’s videos.
—David Denby, New Yorker, 20 July 2025
Some risks of testosterone therapy include worsening sleep apnea, acne, enlarging the prostate or breasts, increasing growth of prostate cancer, reducing sperm counts, causing the testicles to shrink and increasing the risk of clots, according to Mayo Clinic.
—Shiv Sudhakar, NBC news, 14 July 2025
Eventually, the spots enlarge, and the entire leaf may be killed and dropped off the plant.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 12 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for enlarge
Verb
In 1924, the San Diego City Council enlarged the reserve to about 1,000 acres, and the southernmost 100 acres were set aside as a golf course.
—Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 June 2025
After renovations that enlarged that space and added shelving on three sides, the overflow room became the always-flowing room, one of the sets for Hurwitz’s videos.
—David Denby, New Yorker, 20 July 2025
Some risks of testosterone therapy include worsening sleep apnea, acne, enlarging the prostate or breasts, increasing growth of prostate cancer, reducing sperm counts, causing the testicles to shrink and increasing the risk of clots, according to Mayo Clinic.
—Shiv Sudhakar, NBC news, 14 July 2025
Eventually, the spots enlarge, and the entire leaf may be killed and dropped off the plant.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 12 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for enlarge
Cite this Entry
“Enlarge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enlarge. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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