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
The second volume expands the story of the Galactic Empire, while the third delves into the underworld of bounty hunters.
—
Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Sep. 2025
This foldable tote bag condenses down to almost nothing, but expands to hold everything from beach towels to a grocery haul.
—Julie Rousseau, Travel + Leisure, 27 Sep. 2025
Rooted in the land-grant tradition, the UA System expands access to academic, practical, and professional opportunities, fosters intellectual growth and student success, promotes discovery and public service, and strengthens Arkansas's economy, health, and culture.
—Ryan Anderson, Arkansas Online, 26 Sep. 2025
According to the company, the new collections, which launched in August, have already driven a double-digit increase in sales commitments from retail partners, with momentum expected to continue through 2026 as the brand expands distribution.
—Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 26 Sep. 2025
The push for more capacity comes as China fields the world’s largest navy by hull count and rapidly expands its shipbuilding sector.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2025
Milkweeds have light fluff that expands, acting as a parasail, and catches a gust of wind.
—Markis Hill, Kansas City Star, 26 Sep. 2025
Although inflation stretches the Universe flat and expands any pre-existing particles away from one another, this doesn’t necessarily mean the temperature approaches and asymptotes to absolute zero in short order.
—Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 25 Sep. 2025
Five years after the release of its predecessor, Yōtei expands upon Tsushima in every direction — its characters are more complex, its story more gripping, and its visuals more stunning.
—Alyssa Mercante, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2025
Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Sep. 2025
This foldable tote bag condenses down to almost nothing, but expands to hold everything from beach towels to a grocery haul.
—Julie Rousseau, Travel + Leisure, 27 Sep. 2025
Rooted in the land-grant tradition, the UA System expands access to academic, practical, and professional opportunities, fosters intellectual growth and student success, promotes discovery and public service, and strengthens Arkansas's economy, health, and culture.
—Ryan Anderson, Arkansas Online, 26 Sep. 2025
According to the company, the new collections, which launched in August, have already driven a double-digit increase in sales commitments from retail partners, with momentum expected to continue through 2026 as the brand expands distribution.
—Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 26 Sep. 2025
The push for more capacity comes as China fields the world’s largest navy by hull count and rapidly expands its shipbuilding sector.
—Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2025
Milkweeds have light fluff that expands, acting as a parasail, and catches a gust of wind.
—Markis Hill, Kansas City Star, 26 Sep. 2025
Although inflation stretches the Universe flat and expands any pre-existing particles away from one another, this doesn’t necessarily mean the temperature approaches and asymptotes to absolute zero in short order.
—Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 25 Sep. 2025
Five years after the release of its predecessor, Yōtei expands upon Tsushima in every direction — its characters are more complex, its story more gripping, and its visuals more stunning.
—Alyssa Mercante, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expands
Verb
-
Born on a pig farm in small-town Minnesota, Lehmann is an alum of Harvard University and UCB who frequently develops for TV, having most recently sold half-hour sitcoms to CBS, ABC, and Freeform.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
29 Sep. 2025
-
As more information develops, it will be released by the CMPD’s Public Affairs Office.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The law lowers daily transaction minimums, increases warnings on the kiosks, requires transaction receipts and requires Bitcoin ATM operators to issue refunds to victims of fraud, the release states.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
4 Oct. 2025
-
The Corrections Department budget increases wages for corrections officers but also makes tens of millions of dollars in cuts by eliminating programs and administrative costs and funding for positions that have not been filled.—
Paul Egan,
Freep.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Though funding for aid programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, has been approved for October, said Emily Weikert Bryant, executive director of Feeding Indiana's Hungry, the program may be in trouble if the shutdown extends beyond that month.—
Marissa Meador,
IndyStar,
1 Oct. 2025
-
From there, Hawes extends his arms and drives the defensive end out of contention for making the play.—
Joe Buscaglia,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The probability of lightning strikes rises as a thunderstorm approaches and peaks when the storm is directly above.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
4 Oct. 2025
-
Joseph of Egypt tells the Old Testament story about Joseph (Adam Hamshi), who, betrayed by jealous brothers, defies all expectations and rises to incredible power in Egypt, second only to Pharaoh.—
Denise Petski,
Deadline,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Fed’s favored inflation gauge accelerates slightly in August The Federal Reserve’s favored inflation gauge accelerated slightly in August from a year earlier.—
Boston Herald Wire Services,
Boston Herald,
27 Sep. 2025
-
The research captures a snapshot of growing apprehension among the youngest segment of the global workforce as AI accelerates workplace transformation at an unprecedented pace.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
La Galerie du 19M Tokyo, which opens to the public on Tuesday, underlines the importance of skilled labor in the face of AI, generational transition and debate about the value of luxury goods, as the house prepares for the first show by its new artistic director Matthieu Blazy.—
Joelle Diderich,
Footwear News,
29 Sep. 2025
-
To that end, the season opens with Paolo Bortolameolli, associate conductor of the LA Philharmonic, returning in the guest conductor role.—
Ed Masley,
AZCentral.com,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Offshore swells up to 12 feet and long-period surf have prompted widespread marine warnings.—
Hollie Silverman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
28 Sep. 2025
-
Humberto is expected to bring long period swells to the Atlantic Coast, creating life-threatening surf and currents, according to the National Weather Service.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
With fewer job openings for critical roles — since workers stay longer and AI augments their output — there is simply less need for recruiters to find workers to fill non-critical roles.—
Alora Bopray,
USA Today,
21 Sep. 2025
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Instead of replacing systematic reviews, AI in this new paradigm augments them.—
Anna Forsythe,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Expands.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expands. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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