as in expansions
a wide space or area
the great explorers who crossed the vast expanses of the seven seas in small ships
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Recent Examples of expanses
In these plans, recalled Douglas Vakoch, president of Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence (METI) International in San Francisco, huge diagrams would be etched on large expanses of land here on Earth.
—
Leonard David, Space.com, 23 Apr. 2026
Large expanses of glass keep the outdoors in constant view, so the house shifts with the light throughout the day.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 23 Apr. 2026
In the period preceding the monochromes, Hayward had predominantly created paintings composed of two expanses of color that were divided down the middle.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 20 Apr. 2026
And our national parks were still wild expanses barely fit for mules.
—Jacqueline Kehoe, Travel + Leisure, 13 Apr. 2026
That's why there's no greater joy in journalism than driving through the great expanses of the West.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 2 Apr. 2026
The world’s continents are fringed by vast expanses of sand and mud.
—David George Haskell, Big Think, 27 Mar. 2026
Driving east on Route 80 toward the Meta site in Holly Ridge, an unincorporated rural community about 15 minutes east of Rayville—the landscape is defined by flat expanses of soybean and cotton fields, punctuated by grain silos, grazing cows, and the occasional tractor.
—Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 26 Mar. 2026
Large expanses of the desert may flood, in some cases picking up a year’s worth of rainfall in three days.
—Matthew Cappucci, Washington Post, 24 Mar. 2026
Leonard David, Space.com, 23 Apr. 2026
Large expanses of glass keep the outdoors in constant view, so the house shifts with the light throughout the day.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 23 Apr. 2026
In the period preceding the monochromes, Hayward had predominantly created paintings composed of two expanses of color that were divided down the middle.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 20 Apr. 2026
And our national parks were still wild expanses barely fit for mules.
—Jacqueline Kehoe, Travel + Leisure, 13 Apr. 2026
That's why there's no greater joy in journalism than driving through the great expanses of the West.
—Brittney Melton, NPR, 2 Apr. 2026
The world’s continents are fringed by vast expanses of sand and mud.
—David George Haskell, Big Think, 27 Mar. 2026
Driving east on Route 80 toward the Meta site in Holly Ridge, an unincorporated rural community about 15 minutes east of Rayville—the landscape is defined by flat expanses of soybean and cotton fields, punctuated by grain silos, grazing cows, and the occasional tractor.
—Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 26 Mar. 2026
Large expanses of the desert may flood, in some cases picking up a year’s worth of rainfall in three days.
—Matthew Cappucci, Washington Post, 24 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expanses
Noun
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Population growth is fueling the need for expansions, Sapp said, as Catholics are among the many people relocating to Charlotte from the Midwest and Northeast.—
Desiree Mathurin
April 28,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Apr. 2026
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More expansions in the near term In the near term, Wall Street thinks the company will continue vertical investments and expansions, both upstream and downstream from its core GPU business.—
Tobias Burns,
CNBC,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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For Black travelers along Route 66, that put a vital importance on knowing where to find places listed in the Green Book, or places like the Threatt Filling Station, between long, perilous stretches of their journeys.—
Jonathan Bullington,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
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Playa S'Arenal, Ibiza No list of beaches in Spain would be complete without mention of the beautiful sandy stretches on the island of Ibiza.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Observing tips The lunar disk is entirely bereft of shadows during the full moon phase, making this the perfect time to trace the outline of lunar maria — where lava flows filled colossal impact basins billions of years ago before hardening to form sweeping basaltic plains.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
1 May 2026
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For almost 10 years, Josh and Sarah Kimbrough have worked to build a home on the windswept high plains of Colorado’s rugged South Park.—
Elise Schmelzer,
Denver Post,
1 May 2026
Noun
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These are distances hard to fathom.—
Ernie Cowan,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
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Trainers release them at incrementally greater distances — 5 miles, then 10, 20, 50, and 75.—
Sharyn Alfonsi,
CBS News,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
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What is going to be most interesting to watch unfold on Sunday is how teams/manufacturers and their plethora of engineers attempt to use the new stage lengths to their advantage.—
Jordan Bianchi,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
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The Fort Lauderdale Police Department released footage detailing the lengths officers went to capture the suspect, Christian Bouie.—
Abby Dodge,
CBS News,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Wait, are those sheets on sale?—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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Specifically, quick-dry sheets.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Expanses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expanses. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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