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:
The analysts’ projections show each company’s SG&A falling as a percentage of revenue, helping sustain or expand operating margins.
From The Wall Street Journal ● 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 National Park Authority has also made increasing dark sky coverage a priority within its five-year Partnership Management Plan, with ambitions to expand the darkest core areas by 10% by 2031.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Aristotelian philosophers looked backwards, assuming Aristotle had known everything that needed to be known; the new scientists looked forward, aiming to expand the limited range of topics in which they could make satisfactory predictions.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
“This facility expands our production capacity, strengthens our supply chain, and enhances our ability to serve growing demand in the United States and around the world,” said Stacey Kennedy, chief executive of Philip Morris U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
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
Although the Universe's total entropy increases over time, the amount of entropy per unit of volume decreases as the Universe expands.
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
Looking at art in those three days expands his view of color in painting in a way that reading about it could not.
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
Since first emerging online in 2019 on the online bulletin board 4chan, the Backrooms phenomenon has expanded across Reddit, TikTok, YouTube and gaming platforms, where users collectively map, narrate and extend its mythology.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026
This week it expanded its Trusted Employer Scheme that fast-tracks worker visas for companies that meet requirements including predominantly employing South Africans, investing in skills development and operating in priority sectors.
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
As the population expanded, Malthus reasoned, its resource pool would be depleted, and competition between individuals would grow severe.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Mazariegos has in recent months appeared at City Hall to advocate for charter reform, including increasing police accountability, expanding the size of the City Council and advocating for noncitizen voting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
“If you put up clean numbers, exceed your guidance and raise your guidance,” then, over time, more analysts will cover the stock, and the stock will trade at an expanding price/earnings valuation, Nelson said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
Edwin Hubble used this effect to uncover evidence that the universe is expanding.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 25, 2026
Earlier in the week, CN struck two separate commercial agreements with Union Pacific aimed at expanding cross-border freight capacity and improving network fluidity across North America.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
But by the early 1900s, their roles were expanding, and women were tough in defending their rights; they were determined to have a voice in the larger union efforts.
From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield
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.
