Thesaurus

expands

verb

Save Word

present tense third-person singular of expand

Synonyms & Antonyms of expands

1 to express more fully and in greater detail

an article on the First Ladies that the author later expanded into a book

Synonyms for expands

Words Related to expands

Near Antonyms for expands

Antonyms for expands

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 for expands

Words Related to expands

maximizes

Near Antonyms for expands

Antonyms for expands

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 for expands

Words Related to expands

overspreads

Near Antonyms for expands

Antonyms for expands

4 to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number

water expands when it becomes frozen

Synonyms for expands

Words Related to expands

Antonyms for expands

Learn More About expands

Thesaurus Entries Near expands

expanding

expands

expanse

Cite this Entry

“Expands.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expands. Accessed 19 May. 2022.

Style: MLA

MLA

Chicago

APA

Merriam-Webster Check Mark Icon

WORD OF THE DAY

kibosh

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

Eponyms: Words Named After People

What is the best definition of boycott?

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ

A daily challenge for crossword fanatics.

TAKE THE QUIZ