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
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Recent Examples of expands
This foldable tote bag packs flat, expands instantly, and can carry souvenirs, beach gear, or laundry.
—
Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 9 Nov. 2025
That's how the music conveys that, expands it.
—Gerrad Hall, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Nov. 2025
The approval comes as Musk’s Boring Company expands its footprint in Middle Tennessee.
—Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 8 Nov. 2025
The program expands beyond Toei to highlight the anarchic spirit and genre experimentation that defined the movement.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025
Propane gas expands in warm temperatures, which can cause the safety valve to release gas to reduce excess pressure in the tank.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 7 Nov. 2025
When collaboration happens, visibility expands.
—Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 7 Nov. 2025
The campaign reprises and expands the concept of the collection’s look book images unveiled earlier this year, which saw Michele’s tribe pictured on a bed, mainly sleeping but also occasionally playing the guitar, doing a crossword puzzle, taking selfies or having a snack.
—Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 6 Nov. 2025
The collaboration expands on BMW and Solid Power’s work since 2022, now strengthened by Samsung SDI’s experience in large-scale cell manufacturing and materials engineering.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 2 Nov. 2025
Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 9 Nov. 2025
That's how the music conveys that, expands it.
—Gerrad Hall, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Nov. 2025
The approval comes as Musk’s Boring Company expands its footprint in Middle Tennessee.
—Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 8 Nov. 2025
The program expands beyond Toei to highlight the anarchic spirit and genre experimentation that defined the movement.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Nov. 2025
Propane gas expands in warm temperatures, which can cause the safety valve to release gas to reduce excess pressure in the tank.
—Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 7 Nov. 2025
When collaboration happens, visibility expands.
—Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 7 Nov. 2025
The campaign reprises and expands the concept of the collection’s look book images unveiled earlier this year, which saw Michele’s tribe pictured on a bed, mainly sleeping but also occasionally playing the guitar, doing a crossword puzzle, taking selfies or having a snack.
—Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 6 Nov. 2025
The collaboration expands on BMW and Solid Power’s work since 2022, now strengthened by Samsung SDI’s experience in large-scale cell manufacturing and materials engineering.
—Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 2 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expands
Verb
-
Collaborating with industry leaders, academic institutions and others to ensure Iowa develops a skilled workforce for the growing nuclear energy sector.—
Marissa Payne,
Des Moines Register,
6 Jan. 2026
-
The Sentencing Commission is an independent agency in the judiciary that develops sentencing policies and guidelines for federal courts based on those laws.—
Kevin Krause,
Dallas Morning News,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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But there are several notable categories where the quality increases with cost, and one of those is noise-canceling headphones.—
Maggie Slepian,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Jan. 2026
-
Pushing frozen branches upright quickly increases the chances of breakage.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Hardware proven beyond Earth That validation already extends into space.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Jan. 2026
-
But for his dad and mom, the pride in Carson extends far beyond statistics and endorsements.—
Nasha Smith,
PEOPLE,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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When wet clothes are placed near exterior walls—which are much colder than interior walls in the winter—moisture rises to the cold surface, creating the perfect conditions for trapping moisture and causing mold growth.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 Jan. 2026
-
During this season, sap rises to the top of the tree.—
Lee Wallender,
The Spruce,
10 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The Honda accelerates, colliding with two parked vehicles and a light post.—
Devon Lum,
Twin Cities,
8 Jan. 2026
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The nation’s siloed and shrinking media environment accelerates this trend.—
Brandon Rottinghaus,
Washington Post,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Unlike flip-style Razr models, this device opens outward into a tablet-like form factor built for productivity and immersive media.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Season 10 opens in the shadow of a devastating explosion, with the women left to pick up the pieces.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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While the number of retirees swells, the pool of workers funding the social safety net — and caring for the aging population — is narrowing.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
7 Jan. 2026
-
There's a sort of a natural world religiousness or spirituality or philosophy that swells around a lot of things and different characters.—
Rebecca Ford,
Vanity Fair,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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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,
4 Jan. 2026
-
Agreeing to a three-year contract with Tatsuya Imai augments a rotation bracing for the loss of Framber Valdez while leaving a footprint in a market this franchise rarely explores.—
Chandler Rome,
New York Times,
2 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Expands.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expands. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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