dilate

verb

Definition of dilatenext
as in to distend

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb dilate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of dilate are amplify, distend, expand, inflate, and swell. While all these words mean "to increase in size or volume," dilate applies especially to expansion of circumference.

dilated pupils

When is amplify a more appropriate choice than dilate?

In some situations, the words amplify and dilate are roughly equivalent. However, amplify implies the extension or enlargement of something inadequate.

amplify the statement with details

When can distend be used instead of dilate?

The words distend and dilate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, distend implies outward extension caused by pressure from within.

a distended abdomen

Where would expand be a reasonable alternative to dilate?

Although the words expand and dilate have much in common, expand may apply regardless of the manner of increase (such as growth, unfolding, addition of parts).

a business that expands every year

When is it sensible to use inflate instead of dilate?

The synonyms inflate and dilate are sometimes interchangeable, but inflate implies expanding by introduction of air or something insubstantial and suggests a vulnerability to sudden collapse.

an inflated ego

When would swell be a good substitute for dilate?

The words swell and dilate can be used in similar contexts, but swell implies gradual expansion beyond a thing's original or normal limits.

the bureaucracy swelled to unmanageable proportions

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of dilate Before your surgeon starts, your eyes will be dilated and examined, and an IV will be placed. —Perri Ormont Blumberg, TIME, 16 Jan. 2025 The arteries then dilate slowly until the arrival of the next norepinephrine wave. —Tom Hawking, Popular Science, 8 Jan. 2025 Magnesium plays a key role in dilating intracranial blood vessels, so low levels can negatively affect blood flow to the area.14 7. —Chelsea Rae Bourgeois, Rdn, Health, 23 Dec. 2024 Similar to dilated cardiomyopathy, restrictive cardiomyopathy can have a number of potential causes, including genetic mutations, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy. —Elizabeth Millard, TIME, 18 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for dilate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dilate
  1. distend
  2. inflate
  3. augment
  4. increase
  5. expand
  6. enlarge
  7. swell
  8. accelerate
Verb
  • The Most Exciting New Advances in Managing COPD With another strategy, diaphragmatic breathing, patients concentrate on distending their abdomen while taking in air.
    — Matt Fuchs, TIME, 24 Oct. 2024
  • Abdominal bloating is when the stomach feels full of gas and may become distended (sticks out).
    — Amber J. Tresca, Verywell Health, 14 Sep. 2024
Definition of distend
Verb
  • Leather and fur were blown up to dramatic proportions, while button-up polos—typically crisp and corporate—were inflated to the extreme, challenging the rigidity of traditional office attire.
    — Tiana Randall, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025
  • The thought was that to meet something with a laugh was the same thing as defanging it, a fearful humor inflated with American self-importance.
    — Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 27 Feb. 2025
Definition of inflate
Verb
  • Conrad called steel guitarist Justin Schipper in to augment the band the next day at The Smoakstack, a studio loaded with guitars — and ceramic figures — in Nashville’s Berry Hill neighborhood.
    — Tom Roland, Billboard, 27 Feb. 2025
  • Possibilities include accelerating drug discovery, augmenting preclinical or clinical research, predicting potential product quality issues and optimizing testing protocols.
    — Aman Wasan, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
Definition of augment
Verb
  • Accordingly, with no viable domestic production alternative, prices for end-users would increase.
    — Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
  • China is facilitating this by strengthening cooperation with Russia on research and commercial activities, as well as by increasing China's national icebreaker capacity.
    — Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2025
Definition of increase
Verb
  • The speaker’s proposal would expand eligibility to 100% of the State Median Income, or up to $128,000 for a family of the same size, a Council source said.
    — Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 4 Mar. 2025
  • Success in this new landscape depends on maintaining high-quality standards while effectively harnessing AI's capabilities to enhance and expand data resources.
    — Deepak Yadav, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
Definition of expand
Verb
  • And while there are occasional deserters, the intellectual stratum is enlarging.
    — Marquis William Childs, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
  • The remodel, which starts Feb. 17, will make city offices more secure by enlarging the assistant clerk’s office and creating a new waiting room area for visitors with window access to the clerk’s office, officials said.
    — Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 3 Feb. 2025
Definition of enlarge
Verb
  • The imbalance swelled to a record $131.4 billion in January, a 34% increase from the prior month and nearly double from a year ago.
    — Jeff Cox, CNBC, 6 Mar. 2025
  • Also known as Triple E, the virus swells the brain, and kills about one in three patients.
    — Denise Hruby, Orlando Sentinel, 6 Mar. 2025
Definition of swell
Verb
  • If an earlier breakthrough occurs: Should a major quantum attack capability emerge earlier than expected, the bitcoin community can accelerate the above timeline.
    — Dave Birnbaum, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025
  • On the surface, this shift has the potential to accelerate China’s ascent as a global power, potentially granting the world’s second-largest economy space to win more allies, boost its global leadership and shift global norms and rules – such as those on human rights or security – in its favor.
    — Simone McCarthy, CNN, 26 Feb. 2025
Definition of accelerate

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Cite this Entry

“Dilate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dilate. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

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