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# expand

verb (expand, expands, expanded, expanding)

«expand» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. To expand is to become bigger, or to make something bigger. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/expand/#m1)
2. To expand something like a business or town is to make it grow and cover more. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/expand/#m2)
3. To expand on an idea is to say or write more about it. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/expand/#m3)
4. In maths, to expand is to write something out in a longer form. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/expand/#m4)

### In the lessons

In science, most materials expand when heated and contract (get smaller) when cooled — this is why bridges have gaps and why railway tracks have joints; water is unusual, expanding when it freezes, which can burst pipes. A balloon expands when you blow air into it. In maths, «expanded form» writes a number as the sum of its place values: 352 = 300 + 50 + 2. In writing, the teacher may ask you to expand your answer. Phrases: «expand on», «expanded form», «expand and contract».

### Examples

- Metals expand when they get hot. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/expand/#x1)
- Water expands when it freezes, so a full bottle in the freezer can crack. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/expand/#x2)
- The balloon expanded as I blew into it. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/expand/#x3)
- Write 4,206 in expanded form: 4,000 + 200 + 6. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/expand/#x4)
- Please expand on your idea with an example. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/expand/#x5)
- The town expanded into the fields. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/expand/#x6)
- Your lungs expand when you breathe in. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/expand/#x7)
- The bakery expanded and opened a second shop. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/expand/#x8)
- "Travelling expands the mind very much," said the beetle. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/expand/#x9)

### Note

Regular verb: expanded. Noun: expansion. Opposite: contract, shrink. In maths, expanded form adds up to the same number; it is only written differently. Do not confuse with «expend» (to use up).

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «expand» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/expand/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«expand» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/expand.html) on Mova free.