metastasize

verb

me·​tas·​ta·​size mə-ˈta-stə-ˌsīz How to pronounce metastasize (audio)
metastasized; metastasizing

intransitive verb

: to spread or grow by or as if by metastasis
… died of lung cancer which had metastasized throughout his body.—G. P. Elliott

Examples of metastasize in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adding the vaccine also cut a person’s risk of the cancer metastasizing by nearly 60%. — Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC news, 1 June 2026 These tumors can grow rapidly, invade surrounding blood vessels, and may even metastasize to other organs such as the liver. — The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 May 2026 Its size would metastasize as its authority collapses. — Washington Post Editorial Board, Twin Cities, 29 May 2026 The overall five-year survival rate is just 14 percent, and that number drops even lower if the cancer has spread (metastasized) to other parts of the body. — Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 2 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for metastasize

Word History

First Known Use

1907, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of metastasize was in 1907

Rhymes for metastasize

See All Rhymes for metastasize

Browse Nearby Words

metastasis
metastasize
metasternal
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Metastasize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/metastasize. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

metastasize

verb
me·​tas·​ta·​size mə-ˈtas-tə-ˌsīz How to pronounce metastasize (audio)
: to spread or grow by or as if by metastasis

Medical Definition

metastasize

intransitive verb
me·​tas·​ta·​size
variants also British metastasise
mə-ˈtas-tə-ˌsīz How to pronounce metastasize (audio)
metastasized also British metastasised; metastasizing also British metastasising
: to spread by metastasis
… all ten were primary brain cancers; that is, they had originated in the brain, and not metastasized there from elsewhere in the body.—Paul Brodeur, The New Yorker
metastasization noun
also British metastasisation
mə-ˌtas-tə-sə-ˈzā-shən How to pronounce metastasize (audio)
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