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expand

/ɪkˈspænd//ɪkˈspænd/·verb
to grow larger in size, number, or scope — or to add more detail
Fig. 1 — A ruled metal plate sits cold on the bench.
01Definition

To expand is to spread out — to grow larger in size, number, or reach. Heated gas expands, a company expands into new markets, and a writer is asked to expand on a point by adding detail. The Latin expandere means 'to spread out', and the word keeps that outward motion: the edges move away while the centre stays put. It is the natural opposite of shrink and contract. In its 'expand on' form the sense shifts slightly, from growing bigger to explaining more fully.

02In use
  • iThe universe has been expanding ever since the Big Bang.
  • iiThe firm wants to expand across Asia, though scarce capital may slow the plan.
  • iiiCould you expand on that argument? Right now it feels too brief.
03Collocations
  • expand rapidly
  • expand into new markets
  • expand on an idea
  • expand the scope
  • continue to expand

Family expansion (noun) · expansive (adjective) · expanded (adjective)

04Relations

=grow, enlarge, broaden, increase, extend

≠shrink, contract, diminish

05Compared
PairThe difference
expand vs broadenmore variety, a wider range of kinds → broaden; more size, number, or scope overall → expand.
expand vs contractdraws inward and gets smaller or tighter → contract; grows outward in size, number, or scope → expand.
expand vs distendswells taut from pressure within — clinical register → distend; grows in size, number, or scope — general register → expand.
expand vs enlargean outside hand makes a concrete thing bigger → enlarge; something grows in size, scope, or number of itself → expand.
expand vs expendsomething grows in size, number, or scope → expand; energy, effort, or resources get used up → expend.

Also compared with extend, restrict, shrink

06TOEFL & IELTS

A workhorse for IELTS Task 1 (an expanding trend) and for business and science passages. The phrase 'expand on' is prized in Speaking and Writing — it signals you can develop an idea, not just state it. Keep expand (bigger in size or scope) distinct from extend (longer in length or time): a company expands; a deadline is extended.

07Asked
What is the difference between expand and expend?
They sound almost alike but are opposites in spirit. Expand means to grow larger — a company expands, gas expands. Expend means to use up or spend — you expend energy, effort, or resources. The memory hook is in the vowel: expEnd is close to spEnd, and both drain something away, while expand makes something grow.
What is the difference between expand and extend?
Expand is to grow outward in size or scope, in every direction — a business expands, a balloon expands. Extend is to make longer, in one dimension or in time — you extend a deadline, a road, a hand. Roughly: expand spreads, extend lengthens. A company expands into new markets but extends its opening hours.
What does 'expand on' mean?
To develop an idea more fully by adding detail, examples, or reasons — 'could you expand on that?' asks you to keep working the point, not just repeat it. Here the word shifts from growing bigger to explaining more, and it is exactly the skill exam speaking tests reward: the ability to expand an answer unprompted.
Why does gas expand when heated?
Heat gives molecules more energy, so they move faster and push apart, taking up more space — thermal expansion. It is the word's most literal case, and the reason bridges have expansion joints and balloons swell in the sun. The scene above shows it directly: a heated plate swelling evenly in every direction, its centre rivet fixed while the edges travel out.
What does 'expansion' mean, and what is 'expansive'?
Expansion is the noun — economic expansion, the expansion of the universe, a business expansion. The adjective expansive has a twist: beyond 'wide-ranging' ('an expansive view'), it also describes a person who is warm, open, and talkative ('in an expansive mood'). So the same root covers both a spreading empire and a genial dinner host.
What is the difference between expand and shrink?
They are direct opposites of motion: expand grows outward, shrink pulls inward. The scene above expands; run it in reverse and it shrinks. The full contrast, with both animated scenes, is on the expand vs shrink page in the 'Compared' list above.