as in blown up
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
1
as in developed
to express more fully and in greater detail
an article on the First Ladies that the author later expanded into a book
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in increased
to make greater in size, amount, or number
we had to expand the list of wedding guests several times in order to accommodate all the relatives Mother wouldn't dream of excluding
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in extended
to arrange the parts of (something) over a wider area
a spare leaf for those times when we have to expand the dining table to accommodate extra guests
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in accelerated
to become greater in extent, volume, amount, or number
water expands when it becomes frozen
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 expanded
Gabe Kaminsky, CBS News, 13 May 2026
Brazil’s criminal organizations Comando Vermelho and Primeiro Comando da Capital have expanded aggressively across the Amazon over the past decade and now dominate key trafficking corridors linking coca-growing regions in Colombia and Peru to Atlantic ports used to ship cocaine to Europe.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 13 May 2026
The building underwent a multiyear renovation completed in 2019 that added a dedicated visitor entrance, expanded exhibits about its construction and cultural legacy, and reconfigured observation areas to improve visitor flow.
—Bailey Berg, Travel + Leisure, 13 May 2026
The University of Chicago expanded the range of undergraduate students eligible for free tuition on Wednesday, widening assistance for those from families with incomes below $250,000.
—Kate Perez, Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2026
Founded in 2000 by Mira Kulkarni, as a luxury ayurvedic skin, body and hair care manufacturer based in Nida, a suburb of New Delhi, Forest Essentials has expanded to nearly 200 freestanding stores, primarily in India, and is forecast to grow net sales by low double-digits over the next few years.
—Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 13 May 2026
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Burlington opened up 29 more stores and expanded its merchandising.
—Emma Hall, Sacbee.com, 13 May 2026
Turner expanded that purchase into Turner Broadcasting System, or TBS, which included Turner Network Television, or TNT, and the groundbreaking 24-hour news channel Cable News Network, or CNN, which launched its nonstop news coverage in 1980.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 7 May 2026
Pegasus Tech Ventures and AISIN Corporation (a Japanese automotive supplier with ~120,000 employees across 20+ countries) expanded their Corporate Venture Capital fund to $100 million in February 2026, extending a partnership that began in 2018.
—Anis Uzzaman, Fortune, 6 May 2026
Verb
Efforts have picked up in recent years to limit ownership, including in Utah, where its Republican governor, Spencer Cox, signed a bill into law that expanded previous foreign restrictions.
—Gabe Kaminsky, CBS News, 13 May 2026
Brazil’s criminal organizations Comando Vermelho and Primeiro Comando da Capital have expanded aggressively across the Amazon over the past decade and now dominate key trafficking corridors linking coca-growing regions in Colombia and Peru to Atlantic ports used to ship cocaine to Europe.
—Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 13 May 2026
The building underwent a multiyear renovation completed in 2019 that added a dedicated visitor entrance, expanded exhibits about its construction and cultural legacy, and reconfigured observation areas to improve visitor flow.
—Bailey Berg, Travel + Leisure, 13 May 2026
The University of Chicago expanded the range of undergraduate students eligible for free tuition on Wednesday, widening assistance for those from families with incomes below $250,000.
—Kate Perez, Chicago Tribune, 13 May 2026
Founded in 2000 by Mira Kulkarni, as a luxury ayurvedic skin, body and hair care manufacturer based in Nida, a suburb of New Delhi, Forest Essentials has expanded to nearly 200 freestanding stores, primarily in India, and is forecast to grow net sales by low double-digits over the next few years.
—Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 13 May 2026
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Burlington opened up 29 more stores and expanded its merchandising.
—Emma Hall, Sacbee.com, 13 May 2026
Turner expanded that purchase into Turner Broadcasting System, or TBS, which included Turner Network Television, or TNT, and the groundbreaking 24-hour news channel Cable News Network, or CNN, which launched its nonstop news coverage in 1980.
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 7 May 2026
Pegasus Tech Ventures and AISIN Corporation (a Japanese automotive supplier with ~120,000 employees across 20+ countries) expanded their Corporate Venture Capital fund to $100 million in February 2026, extending a partnership that began in 2018.
—Anis Uzzaman, Fortune, 6 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expanded
Verb
-
Multiple nearby schools were placed on lockdown as the incident developed, the department said.—
Dennis Romero,
NBC news,
19 May 2026
-
The most common strain is Zaire, for which treatments and vaccines have been developed.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
The lead times for high-voltage transformers, essential for grid interconnection, have increased to as long as four years.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
-
On Darlene Lane, the flow of contamination increased in late April and continues to seep into their neighbor’s yard.—
Nick Bowlin,
ProPublica,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
The disparities also extended to preventable deaths before age 75, including deaths tied to drug overdoses, car crashes and treatable illnesses.—
Tiffani Jackson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 May 2026
-
While it’s suggested early on that Phil has a temper on the ice, flashbacks show viewers that his anger and violence extended to his family as well.—
Katie Mannion,
PEOPLE,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Within a few moments, Mackenzie suddenly accelerated her car to 100 mph and crashed it into a brick building in Strongsville, Ohio.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
19 May 2026
-
Notion reached $500 million in annual recurring revenue in 2025, and growth has accelerated every month since May when the company introduced AI agents to search through files or summarize meetings.—
Ellen Sheng,
CNBC,
19 May 2026
Adjective
-
The distended episodes were littered with what feels like filler, little of which offered much in the way of narrative value.—
Emma Flint,
IndieWire,
25 Nov. 2025
-
Once per act, a second duo crashes in on Didi and Gogo, providing the tramps’ power balance with a lurid, distended foil.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
That visual vocabulary has been extended to the second season, augmented by a new black Daredevil suit with a red double D emblem on the chest—straight out of the 2010 Shadowland comic storyline.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
13 May 2026
-
Most of what would be free cash flow among Amazon , Alphabet , Meta and Microsoft is now being handed to the hardware providers, augmented by some borrowing.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
In response to the growth of Russia’s dissent émigré community, new Russian language bookstores have opened from Prague to London.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
-
The latest private-members country club to have opened in Oxfordshire, wrapped in a Jacobethan hall with parkland, is a humdinger with an instant cachet.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 May 2026
Verb
-
Data from travel booking platform TrainPal shows that in April, purchases by UK residents of Eurostar tickets to France jumped 42% month-over-month and rose 25% year-over-year.—
,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
-
The pair wiped away tears as the audience rose to their feet in applause following the screening.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Expanded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expanded. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
