expand

1 to express more fully and in greater detail an article on the First Ladies that the author later expanded into a book Synonyms of expand amplify, develop, dilate (on or upon), elaborate (on), enlarge (on or upon), flesh (out) Words Related to expand add (to), complement, supplement; discourse, expatiate, ramble, run on Near Antonyms of expand compress, contract; outline, summarize, sum up Antonyms of expand abbreviate, abridge, condense, shorten

2 to make greater in size, amount, or number we had to expand the list of wedding guests several times in order to accommodate all the relatives Mother wouldn't dream of excluding Synonyms of expand accelerate, add (to), aggrandize, amplify, augment, boost, build up, compound, enlarge, escalate, increase, extend, hype, multiply, pump up, raise, swell, stoke, supersize, upWords Related to expand boom, jump, skyrocket, spike; bump (up), ratchet (up) also rachet (up); blow up, dilate, distend, inflate; draw out, elongate, flesh (out), lengthen, prolong, protract, stretch; develop, enhance, heighten, intensify, magnify; complement, supplement; beef (up), reinforce (also reenforce), strengthen; maximize; accumulate, amass, collect; follow up, parlayNear Antonyms of expand abbreviate, abridge, curtail, shorten; compress, condense, constrict, contract; cut back, retrenchAntonyms of expand abate, decrease, de-escalate, diminish, downsize, dwindle, lessen, lower, minify, reduce, subtract (from)

3 to arrange the parts of (something) over a wider area a spare leaf for those times when we have to expand the dining table to accommodate extra guests Synonyms of expand open, extend, fan (out), flare (out), outspread, outstretch, spread (out), stretch (out), unfold, unfurlWords Related to expand overspreadNear Antonyms of expand compact, compress, condense, reduceAntonyms of expand close, contract, fold

4 to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number water expands when it becomes frozen Synonyms of expand accelerate, accumulate, appreciate, balloon, boom, build up, burgeon (also bourgeon), climb, enlarge, escalate, increase, gain, mount, multiply, mushroom, proliferate, rise, roll up, snowball, spread, swell, waxWords Related to expand jump, rocket, skyrocket, surge; heighten, intensify, redouble; blow up, bulk, distend, inflate, puff (up); crescendo, crest, peakAntonyms of expand contract, decrease, diminish, dwindle, lessen, recede, wane