EXPANDS Synonyms: 123 Similar and Opposite Words

expands

verb

Definition of expands next

present tense third-person singular of expand

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

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Relevance

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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

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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

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as in rises

to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number water expands when it becomes frozen

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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 move follows an uptick in deadly attacks across parts of the country, even as the US-Nigeria security partnership expands. —

semafor.com, 10 Apr. 2026 The film shows Dane's desire for the reauthorization of the ACT for ALS, a 2021 law which grants funding to scientific research and expands access to investigational ALS treatments for people who are not otherwise eligible for clinical trials. —

Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 10 Apr. 2026 The cantilevers contain a thin layer of aluminum nitride, a piezoelectric which expands or contracts under voltage, thus moving the micromachine up and down and enabling the array to scan beams of light over a two-dimensional area. —

IEEE Spectrum, 9 Apr. 2026 Yet all the while, the entropy within that volume — because the Universe expands adiabatically, or equivalently, isentropically — remains constant. —

Big Think, 9 Apr. 2026 The new law expands and simplifies when an infill exemption applies. —

Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 9 Apr. 2026 The new charter expands the list of liaison organizations, which are non-voting participants in the ACIP process. —

Helen Branswell, STAT, 9 Apr. 2026 On a Saturday during peak prom time, the number of staff expands to as many as 53. —

Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 9 Apr. 2026 While most of the homes in the first season are located in New York’s Westchester County, season two expands the map. —

Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 9 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for expands

Verb

Charting Cotton’s Future By enabling growers to benchmark performance, adopt advanced methods and achieve environmental targets, the Trust Protocol develops a long-term vision for cotton production that is resilient and responsible.

— SJ Studio, Footwear News, 6 Apr. 2026
An unexpected kinship develops between the would-be forger (Lori Butler, played by Michaela Coel) and the artist (Julian Sklar, played by Ian McKellen).

— Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 6 Apr. 2026