EXPAND

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does expand mean? 

• EXPAND (verb)
  The verb EXPAND has 7 senses:

1. extend in one or more directions

2. become larger in size or volume or quantity

3. make bigger or wider in size, volume, or quantity

4. grow vigorously

5. exaggerate or make bigger

6. add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing

7. expand the influence of

  Familiarity information: EXPAND used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• EXPAND (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they expand    ... he / she / it expands   
Past simple: expanded   
Past participle: expanded   
-ing form: expanding   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Extend in one or more directions

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

expand; spread out

Context example:

The dough expands

Hypernyms (to "expand" is one way to...):

grow (become larger, greater, or bigger; expand or gain)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "expand"):

dispread (spread abroad or out)

bush out (grow outward)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Something is ----ing PP

Antonym:

contract (become smaller or draw together)

Derivation:

expandible ((of gases) capable of expansion)

expandible (able to expand or be expanded)

expansible ((of gases) capable of expansion)

expansible (able to expand or be expanded)

expansive (able or tending to expand or characterized by expansion)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Become larger in size or volume or quantity

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

his business expanded rapidly

Hypernyms (to "expand" is one way to...):

grow (become larger, greater, or bigger; expand or gain)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "expand"):

balloon; billow; inflate (become inflated)

intumesce; swell; swell up; tumefy; tumesce (expand abnormally)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

expandible (able to expand or be expanded)

expansible ((of gases) capable of expansion)

expansible (able to expand or be expanded)

expansive (able or tending to expand or characterized by expansion)

expandible ((of gases) capable of expansion)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Make bigger or wider in size, volume, or quantity

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

expand the house by adding another wing

Hypernyms (to "expand" is one way to...):

enlarge (make larger)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "expand"):

develop (expand in the form of a series)

blow up; inflate (fill with gas or air)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

expansible (able to expand or be expanded)

expansive (able or tending to expand or characterized by expansion)

expandible (able to expand or be expanded)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Grow vigorously

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

boom; expand; flourish; thrive

Context example:

business is booming

Hypernyms (to "expand" is one way to...):

grow (become larger, greater, or bigger; expand or gain)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "expand"):

revive (be brought back to life, consciousness, or strength)

luxuriate (thrive profusely or flourish extensively)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Sentence example:

The business is going to expand

Derivation:

expansible (able to expand or be expanded)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Exaggerate or make bigger

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

amplify; blow up; expand; inflate

Context example:

The charges were inflated

Hypernyms (to "expand" is one way to...):

increase (make bigger or more)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "expand"):

puff up (make larger or distend)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

expansive (able or tending to expand or characterized by expansion)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Add details, as to an account or idea; clarify the meaning of and discourse in a learned way, usually in writing

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

dilate; elaborate; enlarge; expand; expatiate; exposit; expound; flesh out; lucubrate

Context example:

She elaborated on the main ideas in her dissertation

Hypernyms (to "expand" is one way to...):

clarify; clear up; elucidate (make clear and (more) comprehensible)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "expand"):

detail (provide details for)

exposit; expound; set forth (state)

exemplify; illustrate; instance (clarify by giving an example of)

particularise; particularize; specialise; specialize; specify (be specific about)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s PP

Antonym:

contract (reduce in scope while retaining essential elements)

Derivation:

expansion (adding information or detail)

expansion (a discussion that provides additional information)

Sense 7

Meaning:

Expand the influence of

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

expand; extend

Context example:

The King extended his rule to the Eastern part of the continent

Hypernyms (to "expand" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Verb group:

broaden; extend; widen (extend in scope or range or area)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

expandible (able to expand or be expanded)

expansive (able or tending to expand or characterized by expansion)

 Context examples 

This novel research could lead to new therapeutic approaches for treating or delaying the progression of neurodegenerative conditions that are currently incurable, if the findings are expanded.

(New Mechanisms Found of Cell Death in Neurodegenerative Disorders, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

Autologous expanded mesenchymal stem cells OTI-010 has been studied in the prevention of graft-versus-host disease during stem cell transplant in patients receiving treatment for cancer.

(autologous expanded mesenchymal stem cells OTI-010, NCI Dictionary)

Additional, larger studies will be needed to confirm and expand on these promising results.

(Omalizumab improves efficacy of oral immunotherapy for multiple food allergies, National Institutes of Health)

In the same culture, T cells are treated and activated by low-dose interleukin 2 (IL-2), and expanded using anti-CD3.

(Autologous Cultured Acute Myeloid Leukemia-specific Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes, NCI Thesaurus)

Failure of the lung to expand (inflate) completely.

(Atelectasis, NCI Dictionary)

Jupiter expands all it touches, so you will see your project in its greatest potential manifestation, rather than its most limited terms.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

This cavity is expanding, causing the interstellar material to pile up and create the reddish arc-shaped border.

(Stellar Nursery Blooms into View, ESO)

These specialized pigment cells expand and contract and push the pigment to the surface.

(Octopuses can dream, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

The transduced PBLs are then expanded in culture.

(Anti-p53 T-Cell Receptor-Transduced Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes, NCI Thesaurus)

By using these galaxy clusters as distance markers, astronomers can measure how quickly the Universe was expanding at different times since the Big Bang.

("Russian Doll" Galaxy Clusters Reveal Information About Dark Energy, NASA)