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- Dictionaryexpand/ɪkˈspand/
verb
- 1. become or make larger or more extensive: "their business expanded into other hotels" Similar increase in sizebecome largerenlargeswellbecome distendeddilateinflateballoonpuff out/uplengthenstretchthickenfattenfill outrare:intumescetumefygrowbecome/make largerbecome/make biggerincrease in size/scopeextendaugmentbroadenwidendevelopdiversifymultiplyadd tobuild upscale upbranch outbroaden one's horizonsextend one's operationsspreadproliferatemushroomOpposite shrinkcontractcondenseshrinkscale down
- ▪ (of the universe) undergo a continuous change whereby, according to theory based on observed red shifts, all the galaxies recede from one another.
- ▪ give a fuller version or account of: "the minister expanded on the government's proposals" Similar elaborate onenlarge onadd detail togo into detail aboutflesh output flesh on the bones ofdevelopsupplementamplifyexpatiate onembellishembroiderpad outfill outOpposite touch on
- ▪ become less reserved in character or behaviour: "Alice opened and expanded in this normality" Similar relaxunbendbecome relaxedgrow friendlierbecome less reservedbecome more sociableinformal:loosen uphang looseOpposite tense upclam up
Word Origin late Middle English: from Latin expandere ‘to spread out’, from ex- ‘out’ + pandere ‘to spread’.
Derivatives
- 1. expander noun
- 2. expansibility noun
- 3. expansible adjective
Scrabble Points: 16
E
1X
8P
3A
1N
1D
2
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