expand
Americanverb (used with object)
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to increase in extent, size, volume, scope, etc..
Heat expands most metals. He hopes to expand his company.
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to spread or stretch out; unfold.
A bird expands its wings.
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to express in fuller form or greater detail; develop.
to expand a short story into a novel.
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Mathematics.
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to write (a mathematical expression) so as to show the products of its factors.
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to rewrite (a mathematical expression) as a sum, product, etc., of terms of a particular kind.
to expand a function in a power series.
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verb (used without object)
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to increase or grow in extent, bulk, scope, etc..
Most metals expand with heat. The mind expands with experience.
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to spread out; unfold; develop.
The buds had not yet expanded.
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to express something more fully or in greater detail (usually followed by on orupon ).
to expand on a statement.
verb
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to make or become greater in extent, volume, size, or scope; increase
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to spread out or be spread out; unfold; stretch out
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to enlarge or expatiate on (a story, topic, etc) in detail
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(intr) to become increasingly relaxed, friendly, or talkative
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maths to express (a function or expression) as the sum or product of terms
Usage
What does expand mean? To expand is to increase the extent or dimensions of something, as when a balloon expands when you blow air into it. Expand can describe the increasing size of something in height, width, length, scope, boundary, or any other measurable unit of size, as when you expand an app menu by clicking on a down arrow. To expand can also mean to stretch out or unfold, such as when a bird expands its wings when it gets ready to fly. Figuratively, to expand means to develop or to express more fully, as in Disney really expanded the Star Wars universe when it bought the rights to it. A common use of expand is in the phrase expand upon, meaning to give greater detail or context. When teachers tell you to expand upon your essay’s theme, for example, they want you to describe the theme in more detail or give the theme more context so that readers will understand it better. Example: Click and drag the corner of the square to expand it on the digital canvas.
Synonym Usage
Expand, dilate, distend, inflate imply becoming larger and filling more space. To expand is to spread out, usually in every direction: to expand one's chest. To dilate is especially to increase the width or circumference, and applies to space enclosed within confines or to hollow bodies: to dilate the pupils of the eyes. To distend is to stretch, often beyond the point of natural expansion: to distend an artery. To inflate is to blow out or swell a hollow body with air or gas: to inflate a balloon.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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expandabilitynoun
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expandibilitynoun
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overexpandverb
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reexpandverb
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superexpandverb
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preexpandverb (used with object)
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expandableadjective
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expandibleadjective
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nonexpandingadjective
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self-expandingadjective
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unexpandableadjective
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unexpandingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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expandsimple
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expandssimple
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have expandedperfect
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has expandedperfect
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am expandingprogressive
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are expandingprogressive
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is expandingprogressive
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have been expandingperfect progressive
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has been expandingperfect progressive
Past
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expandedsimple
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had expandedperfect
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was expandingprogressive
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were expandingprogressive
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had been expandingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of expand
First recorded in 1450–1500; late Middle English expanden, from Latin expandere “to spread out,” equivalent to ex- ex- 1 + pandere “to extend, stretch”
Explanation
The verb expand means to make something bigger or wider. It might refer to something concrete, as when you blow into a balloon and make it expand, or something more abstract, as when you study to expand your mind. Expand is a combination of the Latin words ex-, meaning "out," and pandere, "to spread." The idea of spreading out was always there, though the current idea of something actually becoming larger was first recorded in the mid-17th century. Expand is a versatile word that can refer to anything getting bigger, from a nation's growing influence in a neighboring country to a waistline that needs a larger belt.
Vocabulary lists containing expand
Tier 2 Words for the SBAC ELA Items
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Space Science (Astronomy) - Introductory
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Beowulf vocabulary
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"And following a landmark agreement to change our operating model earlier this year, we are well on the way with our plans to expand the league by the 2029/30 season," he added.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
"We will discuss all the issues on the agenda, first and foremost Iran. Naturally, our goal is to safeguard our security and also to expand the circle of peace around us," he added.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
GDP, the official scorecard of the U.S. economy, is expected to expand at a 2.1% annual rate for the second quarter in a row.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
The freight railroad companies said Monday their combined railroad would expand committed gateway pricing, offering fixed pricing agreements for twice as many eligible shipments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
A frequent visitor to the Library of Congress, Garfield asked the librarians for book recommendations, which he borrowed or purchased to expand his knowledge of history, philosophy, and other subjects.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
Note that, even assuming the spread expands, we can’t predict whether Treasury rates themselves will be higher or lower.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
The study examines these thermodynamic effects in Friedmann-Robertson-Walker cosmological spacetimes, which are mathematical models commonly used to describe a Universe that expands uniformly on large scales.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026
Click said the group was advocating for legislation that reduces wildfire risk, expands access to affordable property insurance and ensures quick compensation to victims.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
It expands on a short-term agreement struck between Pakistan's Washington embassy and the firm in October, though the new arrangement doubles the monthly payment to $50,000.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
In the second kind of model, which expands forever, space is bent the other way, like the surface of a saddle.
From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking
"Star Trek" legend George Takei on Saturday headlined a 60th anniversary celebration of the groundbreaking sci-fi series at Comic-Con, which featured stars from across the Starship Enterprise's expanded universe of films and shows.
From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026
An expanded diplomatic presence will allow North Korea’s spy agency to eavesdrop more on overseas communications, Chun said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
"Society has rightly expanded what's possible for women," she says.
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
Space expanded during the entire time that their light was traveling toward us.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 25, 2026
As the country expanded westward, the argument intensified: When new states and territories were added to the nation, should slavery be permitted in them?
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
We’re not at that point yet — not even close — but the scope of AI in finance is expanding.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
Since 2002, Torre and his wife, Ali, have been behind the expanding the Joe Torre Safe at Home Foundation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
In an expanding universe, more distant galaxies generally recede more quickly because a greater amount of space lies between them and us.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 25, 2026
The company is ramping up production at its Hungary plant, expanding battery-swapping infrastructure in Europe and pushing ahead with commercialization of sodium-ion batteries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
And then he felt that stealing sense of despair, of hopelessness, filling him, expanding inside him....
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
