How to pronounce expand
American English pronunciation
ik-SPAND
- IPA
- /ɪkˈspænd/
- Syllables
- ik · SPAND (2 syllables, stress on the 2nd)
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What expand means
To grow larger or spread out wider
In a sentence: The baker watched the bread dough expand in the warm kitchen.
Where it comes from: It comes from a Latin word meaning "to spread out," made from parts meaning "out" and "to spread." It was first written down in English in 1422.
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Compare: expand and escalate
Escalate is getting more serious step by step; expand is getting bigger or spreading out.
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