distend
verb (used with or without object)
to expand by stretching, as something hollow or elastic.
distending
-
present participleof distend.present participle
A verb form that is used in progressive verb constructions and may also function as a modifier or a gerund.
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.
Songs like “No Good Deed” and “March of the Witch Hunters” are chopped up and rearranged to allow for more dialogue and less emoting, distending the film into a bloated heap.
From Salon ● Nov. 21, 2025
I think what we are going for is condensing stage time, while distending mythic time … if that makes ANY sense!
From New York Times ● Nov. 22, 2021
It’s a reminder that our smallness is sometimes petty, the unwelcome gravity of others’ suffering distending her grief.
From Slate ● Jun. 9, 2016
Maintaining vascular tone within the veins prevents the veins from merely distending, dampening the flow of blood, and as you will see, vasoconstriction actually enhances the flow.
From Textbooks ● Jun. 19, 2013
It is misleading to describe the expansion of the universe as a sort of distending bubble viewed from the outside.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
