1
as in developing
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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in increasing
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 & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in extending
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
as in rising
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number
water expands when it becomes frozen
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of expanding
With revenue-sharing challenges mounting across college athletics — and some schools already cutting sports — expanding the playoff has become a potential financial lifeline.
—
Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2026
According to Abbott's office, the Texas Department of Public Safety is immediately expanding the Texas Repeat Offender Taskforce to the Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio and Austin metropolitan areas.
—Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 14 May 2026
The retreat’s popularity also reflects how the definition of beauty tourism is expanding.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 14 May 2026
Across the Russian capital, the internet was blacked out, a move driven by fear that Ukraine could disrupt the World War II commemoration with its expanding reach of long-range drone attacks.
—Mary Ilyushina, Washington Post, 14 May 2026
But Abu Dhabi still wants to maintain distance from Netanyahu’s far-right government and his policies that have mired the region in an expanding war.
—Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 14 May 2026
Lindelof is writer, executive producer and showrunner of The Chain, which is expanding the book’s mythology.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 14 May 2026
Radley said expanding access to health insurance and lowering barriers to care could help narrow some of the gaps highlighted in the report.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2026
This move strengthens our wellness design leadership and reflects our focus on expanding capabilities, not just geography.
—Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 7 May 2026
Trey Wallace Outkick, FOXNews.com, 14 May 2026
According to Abbott's office, the Texas Department of Public Safety is immediately expanding the Texas Repeat Offender Taskforce to the Dallas-Fort Worth, San Antonio and Austin metropolitan areas.
—Mateo Rosiles, USA Today, 14 May 2026
The retreat’s popularity also reflects how the definition of beauty tourism is expanding.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 14 May 2026
Across the Russian capital, the internet was blacked out, a move driven by fear that Ukraine could disrupt the World War II commemoration with its expanding reach of long-range drone attacks.
—Mary Ilyushina, Washington Post, 14 May 2026
But Abu Dhabi still wants to maintain distance from Netanyahu’s far-right government and his policies that have mired the region in an expanding war.
—Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 14 May 2026
Lindelof is writer, executive producer and showrunner of The Chain, which is expanding the book’s mythology.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 14 May 2026
Radley said expanding access to health insurance and lowering barriers to care could help narrow some of the gaps highlighted in the report.
—Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2026
This move strengthens our wellness design leadership and reflects our focus on expanding capabilities, not just geography.
—Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 7 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expanding
Verb
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In addition to impacts of untreated depression on the mother, developing children are also at greater risk for prematurity and low birth weight, and higher rates of impulsivity, socialization issues, and cognitive, behavioral and emotional difficulties.—
Kristen Rogers,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
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The institute is restructuring its tools, developing new programs and reflecting on its role in a broader context, including foreign policy and Poland’s intl.—
Marta Balaga,
Variety,
14 May 2026
Verb
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James Ward During the debate, Republican candidate Steve Hilton said that only a small percentage of California has been developed for housing, arguing that the state should focus on building homes on undeveloped land rather than increasing density in existing cities.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
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Doing so compresses the light reflected from the plasma, thereby increasing its intensity.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Small adjustments made big differences, like increasing pocket sizes to better fit the tennis balls and, with Sabet’s suggestion, extending her coat to the floor.—
Kaio Cesar,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
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Mominul followed his 91 with 56 in the second innings, extending his rich form with five half-centuries in a row and became the Bangladesh batter to reach 5,000 runs.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 May 2026
Verb
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Sentiment was hurt by the rising price of gas caused by the war, according to survey director Joanne Hsu.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
10 May 2026
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Our teachers are making an impact every day while working with increasing local demands, rising expectations, and with less state funding.—
Clinton McCracken,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 May 2026
Verb
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Anthropic also warned that highly capable AI models could dramatically improve offensive cyber operations by accelerating vulnerability discovery and attack planning.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
14 May 2026
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New research points to a mechanism within the Cascadia fault that could be accelerating a break.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
14 May 2026
Verb
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When the puck finally dropped on the fifth and deciding game of the semifinal series, Minnesota came out flying with yet another quick start, pinning Montreal into its own zone for most of the opening 10 minutes.—
Hailey Salvian,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
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Haring, in fact, was one of the earliest artists to experiment with blending art and commerce, opening his famous Pop Shop in Lower Manhattan in 1986.—
Leigh Anne Miller,
ARTnews.com,
12 May 2026
Verb
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More than 100 peacocks are wreaking havoc in the Italian seaside town of Punta Marina on the Adriatic coast, leading to local divisions over what to do about the swelling colony.—
Amarachi Orie,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
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Fluid can start to leak out into surrounding tissues and collect there, which can show up as swelling in areas like the face and around the eyes, said Johnson.—
Kathleen Ferraro,
Verywell Health,
14 May 2026
Verb
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While Univision will continue to feature the highly dramatic telenovelas for which it is best known, the network is augmenting its schedule in areas that are certain to draw broader crowds, including sports.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
12 May 2026
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Semafor’s journalists helped fill in the gaps by augmenting the readout with reporting that wasn’t captured in the transcript.—
Gina Chua,
semafor.com,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Expanding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expanding. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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