expands

present tense third-person singular of expand
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2
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

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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 The gas in your stomach expands as the pressure drops, leaving you bloated. Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 12 June 2026 Broader sonobuoy push The Scottish trial arrives as Ultra Maritime expands its sonobuoy business through production contracts and international partnerships. Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 12 June 2026 The stretchy fabric expands to move with you whether you’re seated or walking around the cabin. Nicol Natale, PEOPLE, 12 June 2026 Cabins aren’t fully pressurized, so the gas in your stomach expands at altitude and leaves you bloated. Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 12 June 2026 This expands inclusion and builds trust. Cheryl Robinson, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026 The fireball expands out and covers the entire launch pad as the fuselage of the rocket can be seen crumbling into the flames. Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 May 2026 South Florida is at the center of major travel news as World Cup rental demand inceases and JetBlue’s expands its footprint in Fort Lauderdale. Jeff Kleinman, Miami Herald, 29 May 2026 Every successful launch expands the market, and autonomous spacecraft have already proven the model, exploring Mars, flying past Pluto, and leaving the solar system without a single human aboard. Omar Kardoudi may 29, New Atlas, 29 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expands
Verb
  • Experts say resentment often develops when one daughter quietly takes responsibility for everything while other siblings remain uninvolved.
    Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 15 June 2026
  • Meanwhile, Blunt’s Margaret, a TV meteorologist, one day develops psychic powers linked to those secrets.
    The Week US, TheWeek, 14 June 2026
Verb
  • If your state does impose sales tax on precious metals, the tax is typically collected at the time of purchase and increases your upfront cost.
    Faith Wakefield, USA Today, 10 June 2026
  • In many cases, our presence only increases the likelihood of violence or other negative outcomes.
    Diane Goldstein, Chicago Tribune, 10 June 2026
Verb
  • The vote extends a 17-year transformation effort at a once-infamous campus.
    Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2026
  • After years of abject failures, underachievement or agonising near-misses, Tuchel was hired to end England’s wait for a major international men’s trophy, which now extends to 60 years.
    Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 16 June 2026
Verb
  • The arch spans 78 feet and rises 65 feet high, drawing hikers eager to experience one of the region’s most striking landmarks.
    USA TODAY Network, USA Today, 10 June 2026
  • The probability of lightning strikes rises as a thunderstorm approaches and peaks when the storm is directly above.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 10 June 2026
Verb
  • AlphaFold considerably accelerates that process.
    Jessica Melugin, Mercury News, 10 June 2026
  • Microsoft Touchscreen Laptop Deal The Microsoft Surface laptop accelerates productivity by packing a 12-core Snapdragon X Elite processor with a rapid NPU for native AI acceleration.
    Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 9 June 2026
Verb
  • Sweetgreen, with an array of salad and composed bowl food options opens its downtown location Tuesday on Woodward Avenue.
    Susan Selasky, Freep.com, 8 Dec. 2025
  • Get Morning Squawk directly in your inbox CNBC’s Morning Squawk recaps the biggest stories investors should know before the stock market opens, every weekday morning.
    Alex Harring, CNBC, 8 Dec. 2025
Verb
  • On Tuesday, elevated surf conditions were reported in Laguna Beach, which can get swells up to 9 feet.
    Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 11 June 2026
  • Its size varies across species, but in humans and many other mammals, the cortex now swells to epic proportions—around 75 percent of brain mass, in our case—and envelops the older structures beneath it.
    Cody Cottier, Scientific American, 28 May 2026
Verb
  • Designed to ensure traceability, reliability and governability, Hivemind operates within clear command frameworks and augments human decision-makers, rather than replacing them, according to a press release.
    Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 23 Nov. 2025
  • Fracking involves injecting fluid down a well at high pressures, which cracks the subsurface, and the horizontal drilling augments the area of cracking.
    Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 17 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Expands.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expands. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.

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