1. increasing in area or volume or bulk or range; "an expanding universe"; "an expanding economy"
1. extend in one or more directions; "The dough expands"
(synonym) spread out
(antonym) shrink, contract
2. become larger in size or volume or quantity; "his business expanded rapidly"
(hyponym) balloon, inflate, billow
3. make bigger or wider in size, volume, or quantity; "expand the house by adding another wing"
4. grow stronger; "The economy was booming"
(synonym) boom, prosper, thrive, get ahead, flourish
5. exaggerate or make bigger; "The charges were inflated"
(synonym) inflate, blow up, amplify
(hyponym) puff up
6. 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"
(synonym) elaborate, lucubrate, expatiate, exposit, enlarge, flesh out, expound, dilate
(antonym) abridge, foreshorten, abbreviate, shorten, cut, contract, reduce
(hypernym) clarify, clear up, elucidate
(derivation) expansion, enlargement, elaboration
7. expand the influence of; "The King extended his rule to the Eastern part of the continent"
(hypernym) change, alter, modify
(verb-group) widen, broaden, extend