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.
Related Words
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
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.
As global temperatures increase, oceans expand from the heat while melting glaciers and ice sheets add even more water to the seas.
From Science Daily • May 22, 2026
Undersecretary of Defense Elbridge Colby last month lauded a new German military strategy to expand its military as “a clear, credible way forward.”
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
But, she says, she and the rest of Krug's family and supporters are just getting started, hoping the law will expand to other states, federally, and even abroad.
From BBC • May 22, 2026
The EU and Mexico agreed to expand their trade ties Friday against the backdrop of a more protectionist United States under President Donald Trump.
From Barron's • May 22, 2026
Heat them up by the same amount and they expand by the same amount; cool them down together and they contract in unison.
From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife
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.
