1. Become larger in size, volume or quantity
   "his business expanded rapidly"
    
2. Extend in one or more directions
   "The dough expands";
   - spread out
    
3. Make bigger or wider in size, volume, or quantity
   "expand the house by adding another wing"
    
4. Extend the influence of
   "The King expanded his rule to the Eastern part of the continent";
   - extend
    
5. Grow vigorously
   "business is expanding";
   - boom, thrive, flourish
    
6. Exaggerate or deliberately make something appear more important or serious than it really is
   "He expanded his modest role into a pivotal contribution";
   - inflate, blow up, amplify
    
7. Describe and explain in detail
   "She expanded on the main ideas in her dissertation";
   - elaborate, lucubrate [archaic], expatiate, exposit, enlarge, flesh out, expound, dilate
    
8. (algebra) rewrite as an equivalent longer sum of terms
   "We need to expand the equation before solving it"

Derived forms: expanded, expands, expanding

Type of: alter, change, clarify, clear up, elucidate, enlarge, grow, increase, modify

Antonym: shrink

Encyclopedia: Expand