1. (v. t.) To increase in area or scope\; to lay open by extending; to open wide; to spread out; to diffuse; as, a flower expands its leaves.

2. (v. t.) To cause the particles or parts of to spread themselves or stand apart, thus increasing bulk without addition of substance; to make to occupy more space; to dilate; to distend; to extend every way; to enlarge; -- opposed to contract; as, to expand the chest; heat expands all bodies; to expand the sphere of benevolence.

3. (v. t.) To state in enlarged form; to develop; as, to expand an equation. See Expansion.

4. (v. i.) To become widely opened, spread apart, dilated, distended, or enlarged; as, flowers expand in the spring; metals expand by heat; the heart expands with joy.

add to adulterate aggrandize amplify attenuate augment balloon beef up bloat blow up bolster boost branch branch out broaden build build up bulk bulk out complete crescendo cut deal in generalities deepen deploy descant detail develop dilate dilute discourse disperse distend ecumenicize elaborate embellish enlarge enlarge upon enter into detail etherealize evolve exalt expatiate explicate extend fan fan out fatten fill out flare generalize globalize go into greaten grow heighten hike hike up huff increase inflate jack up jump up labor lengthen magnify make a generalization maximize mount multiply mushroom open open up outspread outstretch overgrow overrun parlay particularize prolong protract puff puff up pump pump up put up pyramid raise ramify rarefy rehearse in extenso relate at large snowball spell out splay spraddle sprangle sprawl spread spread like wildfire spread out stretch subtilize sufflate swell thicken thin thin out tumefy unfold universalize up upsurge vise water water down wax widen work out