expand

expand is a 6-letter English word with 11 senses as transitive verb, intransitive verb, and verb in the JumbleFix dictionary. One common meaning is: To lay open by extending; to open wide; to spread out; to diffuse; as, a flower expands its leaves. Face value is 16 in Scrabble and 18 in Words With Friends. Use the entries below when you need a playable sense, a nearby word, or another arrangement of the same letters.

6 letters · Scrabble 16 · Words With Friends 18 · 11 senses

Definitions

1. transitive verb. To lay open by extending; to open wide; to spread out; to diffuse; as, a flower expands its leaves.
2. transitive verb. To cause the particles or parts of to spread themselves or stand apart, thus increasing bulk without addition of substance; to make to occupy more space; to dilate; to distend; to extend every way; to enlarge; -- opposed to contract; as, to expand the chest; heat expands all bodies; to expand the sphere of benevolence.
3. transitive verb. To state in enlarged form; to develop; as, to expand an equation. See Expansion, 5.
4. intransitive verb. To become widely opened, spread apart, dilated, distended, or enlarged; as, flowers expand in the spring; metals expand by heat; the heart expands with joy.
5. verb. become larger in size or volume or quantity

   "his business expanded rapidly"

6. verb. exaggerate or make bigger

   "The charges were inflated"

   Synonyms: amplify, inflate

7. verb. grow vigorously

   "The deer population in this town is thriving"

   "business is booming"

   Synonyms: boom, flourish, thrive

8. verb. expand the influence of

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

   Synonyms: extend

9. verb. make bigger or wider in size, volume, or quantity

   "expand the house by adding another wing"

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

    "She elaborated on the main ideas in her dissertation"

    Synonyms: dilate, elaborate, enlarge, expatiate, exposit, expound, lucubrate

11. verb. extend in one or more directions

    "The dough expands"

Synonyms

amplify, inflate, boom, flourish, thrive, extend, dilate, elaborate, enlarge, expatiate, exposit, expound, lucubrate

Common word forms

expands, expanded, expander, expanding, expandable

Words from these letters

If you are holding these tiles, the unscrambler for EXPAND lists every valid word you can make from the same letters, including shorter plays.