as in expansions
a wide space or area
the great explorers who crossed the vast expanses of the seven seas in small ships
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of expanses
By traversing sonic ground across its 10 tracks that transports listeners from the open expanses of Montana to the Mississippi Hill Country, Bingham and The Texas Gentlemen effectively weave a tapestry that knits together a throughline between foundational Americana genres.
—
Chris Barilla, PEOPLE, 15 May 2026
Encounters with whales, dolphins and penguins awaited; landscapes of icy expanses, towering cliffs and rolling green hills beckoned.
—Hira Humayun, CNN Money, 6 May 2026
This former mining hub with a population of about 170 is sandwiched between the vast expanses of Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park.
—Amanda Ogle, Travel + Leisure, 28 Apr. 2026
In these plans, recalled Douglas Vakoch, president of Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence (METI) International in San Francisco, huge diagrams would be etched on large expanses of land here on Earth.
—Leonard David, Space.com, 23 Apr. 2026
Large expanses of glass keep the outdoors in constant view, so the house shifts with the light throughout the day.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 23 Apr. 2026
In the period preceding the monochromes, Hayward had predominantly created paintings composed of two expanses of color that were divided down the middle.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 20 Apr. 2026
That's why there's no greater joy in journalism than driving through the great expanses of the West.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 2 Apr. 2026
The world’s continents are fringed by vast expanses of sand and mud.
—David George Haskell, Big Think, 27 Mar. 2026
Chris Barilla, PEOPLE, 15 May 2026
Encounters with whales, dolphins and penguins awaited; landscapes of icy expanses, towering cliffs and rolling green hills beckoned.
—Hira Humayun, CNN Money, 6 May 2026
This former mining hub with a population of about 170 is sandwiched between the vast expanses of Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park.
—Amanda Ogle, Travel + Leisure, 28 Apr. 2026
In these plans, recalled Douglas Vakoch, president of Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence (METI) International in San Francisco, huge diagrams would be etched on large expanses of land here on Earth.
—Leonard David, Space.com, 23 Apr. 2026
Large expanses of glass keep the outdoors in constant view, so the house shifts with the light throughout the day.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 23 Apr. 2026
In the period preceding the monochromes, Hayward had predominantly created paintings composed of two expanses of color that were divided down the middle.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 20 Apr. 2026
That's why there's no greater joy in journalism than driving through the great expanses of the West.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 2 Apr. 2026
The world’s continents are fringed by vast expanses of sand and mud.
—David George Haskell, Big Think, 27 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expanses
Noun
-
Now, the siblings regularly discuss entirely new storylines and creative expansions with the author directly.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
19 May 2026
-
There is no money for more streetcar expansions, though the Streetcar Authority has studied a variety of possibilities.—
Eleanor Nash
May 18,
Kansas City Star,
18 May 2026
Noun
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Unlike Downtown and the Denver Tech Center, Cherry Creek isn’t worrying about what to do with nearly empty office buildings or how to fill large stretches of vacant storefronts.—
Aldo Svaldi,
Denver Post,
18 May 2026
-
And in between, long stretches of normalcy.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
The spacecraft will soar over craters and plains and may be able to spot dust features and lava flows.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
14 May 2026
-
Areas across the northeastern plains, along with parts of Denver, Jefferson, Arapahoe and Douglas counties, improved from Extreme Drought to Severe Drought.—
Callie Zanandrie,
CBS News,
14 May 2026
Noun
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Most patients were able to walk faster by 16 weeks post-treatment, and eight no longer needed their assistive devices for short distances.—
Amber Dance,
ArsTechnica,
17 May 2026
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The car is outfitted with 29 cameras, six radars, five microphones, and five lidar sensors, which continuously pulse to measure distances, objects, and people as far as three football fields away.—
Anderson Cooper,
CBS News,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
Iron Honor had a clear path on the outside and threatened with a late surge, but Lopez pushed Napoleon Solo and did not yield to Flavien Prat, who finished 1 1/4 lengths behind on Iron Honor (9-1) for second.—
Emily Ohman,
New York Times,
16 May 2026
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The colt won his first two starts last year by impressive margins, prevailing in the Champagne Stakes by 6½ lengths in October.—
Noah Trister,
Chicago Tribune,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
Swap aerosol sprays for pump bottles, and choose fragrance-free laundry products — the chemical scents left on clothing and sheets are another source of exposure kids rarely escape.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
19 May 2026
-
Popular cakes such as the berry chantilly are available in a variety of sizes, including as sheets.—
Eva Flowe
May 18,
Charlotte Observer,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Expanses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expanses. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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