# expand

/ɪkˈspænd/ (US) · /ɛkspˈænd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/expand
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. to grow larger

verb · CEFR B1

to become larger in size, amount, or volume.

For teachers: to increase in physical size, volume, or quantity. Often used as an intransitive verb to describe physical processes.

- Metals expand when they get hot and shrink when they cool down.
- The gases in the chamber expand rapidly upon ignition, driving the piston downward with significant force.

### 2. to increase scope

verb · CEFR B1

to make a business or an idea cover more areas or include more things.

For teachers: to increase the extent, number, or scope of an enterprise or concept. Transitive or intransitive depending on whether the focus is the agent or the entity growing.

- The company wants to expand its business into other countries next year.
- The university decided to expand its research department to include a dedicated wing for renewable energy studies.

### 3. to give more detail

verb · CEFR B2 · Academic · Formal

to give more information about something you have already said or written.

For teachers: to elaborate on a point or topic by providing additional details. Usually followed by the preposition 'on'.

- Could you expand on that point? I didn't quite understand the last part.
- In the second chapter, the author expands on the socio-economic factors that led to the revolution.

Usage: Usually takes the preposition 'on' when used intransitively.

### 4. to show subentries

verb · CEFR B1 · Technical

to click on a folder or list to see the items hidden inside it.

For teachers: to reveal the subentries of a hierarchical list, such as a directory tree or a menu.

- Click the plus sign to expand the folder and see all your files.
- The user interface allows you to expand each category to view the specific metadata associated with the individual records.

### 5. math expressions

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

to rewrite a short math problem as a longer sum of parts.

For teachers: to rewrite an algebraic expression as a sum of terms without parentheses.

- The teacher asked the students to expand the equation on the board.
- When you expand the binomial expression, you can more easily identify the coefficients for each term.

## Examples

- The company plans to expand its business into new countries next year.
- Metals expand when they are heated and contract when they cool down.
- The software developer decided to expand the application's functionality by integrating a cloud-based storage system that allows for seamless data synchronization across multiple devices.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.