spread (out)

as in to expand
to arrange the parts of (something) over a wider area let's spread the puzzle out on the floor and see what we've got

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for spread (out)
Verb
  • At the crux of those tensions are a gaping trade imbalance and efforts from the US to ensure its national security against an increasingly assertive China, including by expanding restrictions on China’s access to American high tech, like the advanced semiconductors needed to power AI.
    Betsy Klein, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
  • Seeing as how the first tribe swap failed to shake anything up and gave us two more obvious telegraphed votes, the producers decided to blow it all up again and expand back to three tribes.
    Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • China’s Seafaring History (Smithsonian Magazine) by Sean Kingsley China has a history of maritime trade extending to West Africa, the Mediterranean, and much of Asia that goes back to the first millennium.
    JSTOR Daily, JSTOR Daily, 29 Oct. 2025
  • Narrative has a seemingly relentless, ungovernable momentum, but humans retain a control over war stories that does not extend to war itself.
    Elizabeth D. Samet, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Add in the flourishes provided by Poku and Kofane, in particular — the former’s opening goal last weekend was a masterpiece — and the picture is of a brittle but talented group, clearly in a development stage, but with obvious potential in key areas.
    Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
  • In 2022, Fox Weather had reported that United Airlines would abandon its request for passengers to open window shades upon landing after quietly beginning to encourage it in 2020.
    Staff Author, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • As the scene unfolds, the gorilla suddenly lifts its arm and smacks the glass, causing a crack.
    Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
  • Chaotic scenes then unfold as dozens of protesters swarmed the area and confronted the federal agents, the footage shows.
    Michael Dorgan, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2025
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Spread (out).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spread%20%28out%29. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.

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