as in expansion
a wide space or area
the great explorers who crossed the vast expanses of the seven seas in small ships
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of expanse
Heading north, Highway 12 moves through the heart of the massive Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, a 1.9-million-acre park with expanses of slick rock and sandstone canyons stretching all the way to the horizon.
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Graham Averill, Outside Online, 19 Feb. 2025
Vast expanses of glass overlook leafy canyon vistas.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 13 Feb. 2025
Pulling out along the expanse of Beauly Firth’s southern flank, the winding line then dances around several lochs on its way into the Highlands.
—James March, Travel + Leisure, 3 Feb. 2025
Plane-spotting is even a popular hobby among locals, who picnic and throw Frisbees at Gravelly Point Park, a grassy expanse just a few hundred feet from the airport’s runways.
—Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 30 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for expanse
Graham Averill, Outside Online, 19 Feb. 2025
Vast expanses of glass overlook leafy canyon vistas.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 13 Feb. 2025
Pulling out along the expanse of Beauly Firth’s southern flank, the winding line then dances around several lochs on its way into the Highlands.
—James March, Travel + Leisure, 3 Feb. 2025
Plane-spotting is even a popular hobby among locals, who picnic and throw Frisbees at Gravelly Point Park, a grassy expanse just a few hundred feet from the airport’s runways.
—Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 30 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for expanse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expanse
Noun
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Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump is calling for the expansion of crisis intervention programs as new data shows police killings hit a record high in 2024 — despite a national decline in violent crime.—
Delano Massey,
Axios,
28 Feb. 2025
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Mining and refining minerals is highly energy-intensive, meaning that any expansion of production will require massive investments in rebuilding power infrastructure.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The sound mix can be a little fuzzy wuzzy at times, dropping whole stretches of lyrics into almost indecipherable murkiness.—
Rod Stafford Hagwood,
Sun Sentinel,
8 Mar. 2025
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Padre Island National Seashore is the longest stretch of undeveloped barrier island in the world, and the seemingly infinite sprawl of land and sea engulfs the senses and feels like full immersion in seaside nature.—
Mariah Tyler,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The fate of Gaza has been discussed at length, including a proposal from President Donald Trump to remove residents from Gaza and redevelop the land, a proposal that drew widespread backlash, with some calling it ethnic cleansing.—
Diaa Ostaz,
ABC News,
1 Mar. 2025
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This interview has been edited for length and clarity.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
1 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Expanse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expanse. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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