1
as in to develop
to express more fully and in greater detail an article on the First Ladies that the author later expanded into a book

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
3
as in to extend
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 & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

4

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb expand differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of expand are amplify, dilate, distend, inflate, and swell. While all these words mean "to increase in size or volume," expand may apply regardless of the manner of increase (such as growth, unfolding, addition of parts).

a business that expands every year

When can amplify be used instead of expand?

The meanings of amplify and expand largely overlap; however, amplify implies the extension or enlargement of something inadequate.

amplify the statement with details

When might dilate be a better fit than expand?

Although the words dilate and expand have much in common, dilate applies especially to expansion of circumference.

dilated pupils

When is distend a more appropriate choice than expand?

The words distend and expand can be used in similar contexts, but distend implies outward extension caused by pressure from within.

a distended abdomen

When is it sensible to use inflate instead of expand?

In some situations, the words inflate and expand are roughly equivalent. However, inflate implies expanding by introduction of air or something insubstantial and suggests a vulnerability to sudden collapse.

an inflated ego

In what contexts can swell take the place of expand?

While the synonyms swell and expand are close in meaning, swell implies gradual expansion beyond a thing's original or normal limits.

the bureaucracy swelled to unmanageable proportions

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 expand With Neptune entering Aries on the 30th, your vision for the future is starting to expand. Meghan Rose, Glamour, 1 Oct. 2025 After becoming a hit in 2017, the show's creative team expanded the story beyond the Liane Moriarty novel for a second season in 2019. Benjamin Vanhoose, PEOPLE, 1 Oct. 2025 Related Stories Iberseries & Platino Industria continues to expand its global network through partnerships with major festivals and markets such as Blood Window, FICCI, Rio2C, BIF Market, and Seriencamp. Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 1 Oct. 2025 Bromley also is credited with expanding payment transparency by spearheading Manatt’s music streaming royalty calculator, which compiles direct-source data to show artists exactly how much they are being paid by Spotify and Apple Music. Claudia Rosenbaum, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for expand
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expand
Verb
  • That developed into work as a sports agate clerk – editing and coding the different box scores for print on our ‘Scoreboard’ page at the time.
    Nicole Young, Nashville Tennessean, 5 Oct. 2025
  • When multiple family members develop colon cancer, it's considered hereditary colon cancer.
    Lindsay Curtis, Health, 4 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • That, alongside Newcastle’s desire to spread the fee over multiple years (whereas Como were going to pay in one lump sum), led to Milan increasing their asking price.
    Chris Waugh, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Milwaukee is not alone in seeking to implement or increase a wheel tax to raise local revenue.
    Vanessa Swales, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Democrats countered that the GOP proposal actually is partisan, since Republicans are seeking to extend funding following the passage of a controversial spending bill that narrowly passed in July over the objections of all congressional Democrats.
    Kevin Breuninger,Sam Meredith, CNBC, 1 Oct. 2025
  • The court will decide whether to extend McElroy’s TRO into a longer preliminary injunction, which would keep the FEMA homeland security grants available while the case proceeds.
    Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • They’re plugged into networks that carry influence and can accelerate advancement in business and career.
    Sarah Maokosy, Fortune, 4 Oct. 2025
  • Once a scrappy research lab in San Francisco's Mission District, the company has since become more structured, enabling it to spin up cross-functional teams more quickly and accelerate the development and deployment cycles for products like Sora.
    MacKenzie Sigalos, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • These services are typically underfunded by the government, even without a shutdown, and tribal nations have to supplement the services with their own revenues, largely from gaming.
    Frank Vaisvilas, jsonline.com, 3 Oct. 2025
  • After that, both new and current WIC beneficiaries will start to see their benefits impacted, especially those in areas without state funds to supplement the loss of federal dollars, Hard said.
    Tesfaye Negussie, ABC News, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • As for glam and accessories, Jackson favored delicate rings, bracelet and dangle earrings in warm tones to augment her red dress.
    Julia Teti, Footwear News, 1 Oct. 2025
  • So, think about a core legacy ERP system that can then be augmented with point of sale data or supply-chain data that allows for different types of insights to be gleaned and operations to be managed in a more effective way.
    Fortune Editors, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Church attack brings for army of helpers A Grand Blanc Township resident opened his home to people fleeing the church attack.
    John Wisely, Freep.com, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Now that Dave's has opened in Louisville, the bold choices don't appear to be slowing.
    Amanda Hancock, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Bright nighttime skies are on the way in Michigan as the year's first full supermoon will rise in the sky Monday, astronomers say.
    Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 5 Oct. 2025
  • In six of the past seven seasons, the number of Englishmen playing in major leagues on the continent has risen.
    Liam Tharme, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Expand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expand. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.

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