1
as in develops
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 increases
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 extends
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 rises
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number
water expands when it becomes frozen
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 expands
Frontier expands routes, will cut less profitable ones Dempsey took over from longtime Frontier CEO Barry Biffle in December and has unwound some of his more aggressive expansion plans.
—
Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 8 May 2026
If the College Football Playoff expands, the urgency of the regular season diminishes by comparison, and in a sport that had, inarguably, the greatest regular season in sports, that's a huge blow.
—Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2026
The more useful interpretation here is that access expands while the work remains difficult.
—Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 8 May 2026
As sea ice shrinks and expands, the surface ocean warms or cools.
—Hannah Richter, Scientific American, 7 May 2026
Parenting naturally casts one partner as the caregiver, but often that role expands beyond the kids to include managing the household and the needs of a spouse — both logistically and emotionally.
—Patricia Neligan, AJC.com, 7 May 2026
Families are being squeezed by rising costs while a bloated bureaucracy expands instead of improving services.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Here, the traditional expectations of a five-star stay are softened into something more personal—where time expands, space breathes, and every detail is designed to feel intuitive rather than imposed.
—Miami Herald, 1 May 2026
On top of bringing hundreds of new jobs to the Marion County community, Equestrian Manor expands the options for events — with spaces available for weddings, meetings and other gatherings.
—Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 May 2026
Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 8 May 2026
If the College Football Playoff expands, the urgency of the regular season diminishes by comparison, and in a sport that had, inarguably, the greatest regular season in sports, that's a huge blow.
—Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 May 2026
The more useful interpretation here is that access expands while the work remains difficult.
—Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 8 May 2026
As sea ice shrinks and expands, the surface ocean warms or cools.
—Hannah Richter, Scientific American, 7 May 2026
Parenting naturally casts one partner as the caregiver, but often that role expands beyond the kids to include managing the household and the needs of a spouse — both logistically and emotionally.
—Patricia Neligan, AJC.com, 7 May 2026
Families are being squeezed by rising costs while a bloated bureaucracy expands instead of improving services.
—Lucas Robinson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026
Here, the traditional expectations of a five-star stay are softened into something more personal—where time expands, space breathes, and every detail is designed to feel intuitive rather than imposed.
—Miami Herald, 1 May 2026
On top of bringing hundreds of new jobs to the Marion County community, Equestrian Manor expands the options for events — with spaces available for weddings, meetings and other gatherings.
—Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expands
Verb
-
Potatoes must grow in darkness in order to prevent them from producing toxic solanine, which develops from sun exposure.—
Asia London Palomba,
The Spruce,
11 May 2026
-
If someone in the quarantine unit develops symptoms, they would be assessed and moved to the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit.—
Nicole Brown Chau,
CBS News,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
CycloKinetics says the fuel improves combustion performance and increases energy density, helping missiles travel farther while improving standoff capability.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
6 May 2026
-
Prioritize In-Flight Hydration Air travel greatly increases your risk of dehydration due to the extremely low humidity and lower cabin pressure.—
Anna Giorgi,
Verywell Health,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
The Israeli government and military have said forces will remain in a buffer zone that spans the countries' border and extends at least six miles into Lebanese territory, and that residents will not be allowed to return home, until the Hezbollah threat is removed.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The decision also extends to OPEC+, a larger group that consists of other oil producers such as Russia.—
Hanna Ziady,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The move comes as electricity demand in the country’s mining region rises faster than supply, with miners building metal processing plants to satisfy local policymakers’ desire to keep some of the value chain in the country.—
Ruben Nyanguila,
semafor.com,
6 May 2026
-
Smoke rises from Israeli bombardment on the village of Mayfadoun, as seen from nearby Marjayoun, in southern Lebanon, May 6, 2026.—
May 6,
CBS News,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile, the unceasing churn of clothing, footwear and accessories depletes soils, poisons the water, pollutes the air, drives deforestation, accelerates biodiversity loss and generates runaway planet-warming emissions that undermine brands’ lofty environmental ambitions.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Footwear News,
1 May 2026
-
As the Pentagon accelerates adoption, scrutiny from within the tech sector is likely to intensify.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Sierra Canyon is the highest seed in pool C and opens at home against Oaks Christian.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
9 May 2026
-
Adding to the accuracy of the show, the OnlyFans interface was graphically recreated to use on-screen, down to the chatboxes Margo opens when DMing creators, looking for tips on how to expand her fanbase.—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
The guilt swells and swells while the sweater sits and sits.—
Liana Satenstein,
Vogue,
8 May 2026
-
As the orchestra swells, a voice slowly surfaces.—
Ben Cardew,
Pitchfork,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
That turns the chatbot from a substitute for care into something that augments the therapeutic alliance between you and your care team.—
Sudheesha Perera,
Time,
6 May 2026
-
This is the first of a new type of rideshare program flying to that orbit that augments SpaceX’s Transporter program that flies to SSO.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Expands.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expands. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
