expand

verb

USik-SPAND/ɪkˈspænd/

11 meanings of expand

1
verbtransitive
To make something bigger or make it include more.
Like adding more rooms to a house so it can hold more people.
The school plans to expand its music program next year.
They expanded the parking lot to fit more cars.
Similarextend, increase, enlarge, broaden, widen
Oppositereduce, shrink, cut, curtail
Note
2
verbintransitive
To grow bigger or come to include more things.
Small businesses often expand when the economy is strong.
Her circle of friends expanded after she joined the team.
Similargrow, increase, swell, widen, broaden
Oppositeshrink, decrease, decline, dwindle
3
verbtransitive
To make something larger, or to spread it out or open it up.
Press the button to expand the umbrella before you step outside.
She expanded the folding table so eight people could sit together.
Similarenlarge, spread, unfold, stretch, extend
Oppositeshrink, contract
Note
4
verbintransitive
To grow bigger or take up more space.
Like a sponge that grows bigger as it soaks up water.
Balloons expand when you blow air into them.
The bread dough expanded overnight in the warm kitchen.
Similarswell, enlarge, grow, increase, dilate
Oppositecontract, shrink
Note
5
verbtransitive
To explain something more fully, with extra details.
Can you expand your answer with one or two examples?
He expanded his short notes into a full page of details.
Similardevelop, amplify, elaborate, extend, enlarge
Oppositecondense, abridge, shorten, summarize
6
verbintransitive
To talk or write more about something, giving extra details.
Could you expand on what you said about the trip?
She expanded on her plan during the team meeting.
Similarelaborate, enlarge, expound, amplify
Note
7
verbtransitive
To open an item in a list on a screen so the parts hidden inside it appear.
Like opening a drawer to see everything stored inside.
Click the small arrow to expand the folder.
She expanded each chapter title to see the sections underneath.
Similaropen, unfold
Oppositecollapse
Note
8
verbtransitive
In math, to write something out as a longer sum that equals the same thing.
Expand (x + 2)(x + 3) before you try to solve the equation.
The teacher expanded the squared term on the board, step by step.
Oppositefactor, factorize
Note
9
verbintransitive
In math, to turn into a longer sum that equals the same thing.
Squared terms expand into longer sums when you write them out.
(x + 1)(x + 2) expands to x² + 3x + 2.
Note
10
verbtransitive
To multiply the top and bottom of a fraction by the same number.
Expand the first fraction so both fractions have the same bottom number.
We expanded 1/3 to 2/6 before adding the two fractions.
Oppositesimplify, reduce
Note
11
verbintransitive
To begin to feel kind, generous, or full of hope.
Like a flower opening up in the warm sun.
After dinner, Grandpa expanded, telling stories and handing out treats.
People often expand in good company and start to feel hopeful.
Similarwarm, relax, mellow, unwind

Practice

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Origin

It comes from Latin expandere, meaning "to spread out," made from ex- ("out") and pandere ("to spread").