Thesaurus results for EXPANSES

expanses

noun

plural of expanse

as in expansions

a wide space or area the great explorers who crossed the vast expanses of the seven seas in small ships

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of expanses Deciduous trees the color of fresh green apples line the riverbank, then dot the vast expanses of conifer forest that stretch up into the hills. — Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026 Entrepreneur Emma Grede attributed her ability to keep brands relevant to her complete assuredness in her intuition, which was honed in the expanses of her triumphs—and failures. — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026 Released three years after the similarly freewheeling Nekkuja, the album bubbles over with interdimensional ambition and zigzagging ideas, anchored by her ability to command bewildering expanses of melody and form. — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 9 Oct. 2026 National monuments are designed to protect specific locations and objects, such as archaeological or historical sites, whereas national parks have a broader purpose including recreation and the preservation of vast expanses of wilderness. — ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026 And this week, our story about the dwindling water levels in Lake Powell, the country’s second-largest reservoir, shows breathtaking expanses of dry canyon plunging to a shrinking, narrow ribbon of teal green. — Stephanie Hanes, Christian Science Monitor, 2 Oct. 2026 With its affinities for isolation and, at times, imposing scale, Land art conjures archaeology and the geological sublime—vast expanses of space and time. — Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026 Arid canyons and rocky expanses with little vegetation are conducive to flash flooding and the tropical weather adds more risk, said Andrew Mangham, senior service hydrologist for the National Weather Service in Albuquerque, New Mexico. — Martín Silva Rey, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026 That’s a good chunk of the 8-12 inches the arid area of canyons and rocky expanses with little vegetation usually gets in a year. — Megan Janetsky, Chicago Tribune, 28 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for expanses

Noun

Its the latest in a series of expansions for Vallarta, which opened a store in Rancho Cucamonga in April and opened its first location outside of California in Arizona in January.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
The move follows similar expansions by other prominent crypto investors.

— Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of expansions

Noun

Sometimes the family stayed in their car, but the girls were also left for long stretches with various friends of their mom’s.

— Anja Aronowsky Cronberg, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2026
Larger projects, like resurfacing long stretches of major streets, take more planning and coordination with the city.

— Sabrina Franza, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of stretches

Noun

Behind the storm, colder overnight temperatures could bring the first freeze of the season to much of Colorado's eastern plains.

— Callie Zanandrie, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Block after block of hulking data centers – both new and under construction – rise up seemingly out of nowhere from rolling plains and fields of sunflowers and sorghum.

— Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of plains

Noun

Scientists have been able to measure quantum effects in larger and more complex systems and over great distances, blurring the line once thought to separate the scale of observer and observed.

— Philipp Strasberg, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
According to the researchers, inflation stretched tiny quantum fluctuations across vast distances in the early universe.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of distances

Noun

Neither scenario seems impossible in the show, and Sonny goes to lengths to find out what’s true.

— Maira Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
The funnel-neck coat remained a key style for the season, too iterated on in midi and maxi lengths at Gucci and Tory Burch.

— Andrea Zendejas, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of lengths

Noun

Contributor Blake Bakkila adds that the patterning gives these sheets more of a slubby feel.

— Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 23 Oct. 2026
There was a basket with lemons, each one tied with red curling ribbon, fish spices stacked, the register with all the keys covered by a silicone hood, and a pile of newspapers next to a pile of wrapping sheets.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of sheets

Browse Nearby Words

expanse

expanses

expansion

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Expanses.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expanses. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of expanses

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

grotesque

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes