Basic Details
Word: Expanded
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Became bigger, or made something bigger, in size, number or amount.
Synonyms: grew, enlarged, widened, spread
Antonyms: shrank, contracted, reduced
Sounds like: expended (spent or used up, such as time, money or energy)
How to Spell Expanded
Syllables: ex - pand - ed
Tricky part: The vowel after p is a, as in pan. Writing an e gives expended, a different word that means spent.
Watch out for: expandded, expaned, expandid
Memory tip: Picture a pan in the middle: ex + pan + ded. The balloon expanded until it was as wide as a frying pan.
Usage Examples
Example 1: The balloon expanded as Ravi blew more air into it.
Example 2: Our school library has expanded from one room to two.
Example 3: The small tea stall slowly expanded into a busy restaurant.
Fun Fact
Railway rails used to be laid with small gaps between them because steel expands in summer heat; without room to grow, the track could buckle.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word expanded as used in the sentence:
The metal lid expanded in the hot water, so the jar was easy to open.
a) widened
b) contracted
c) grew
d) swelled
Show answer
b) contracted. To contract is to become smaller, the reverse of expanding.
Word Cookie
Fill in the missing letters to complete the word:
exp_nd_d
a) a, e
b) o, e
c) a, i
d) u, e
Show answer
a) a, e. The middle is pand, as in panda, and the ending is the usual ed.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one of these words is spelt correctly. Choose its meaning:
1. stretchd 2. expanded 3. compresed 4. inflatted
a) pulled to become longer or wider
b) grew larger in size or amount
c) pressed together into a smaller space
d) filled with air or gas
Show answer
b) grew larger in size or amount. Expanded is right; compressed needs a double s, stretched needs its e, and inflated has only one t.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Expanded and expended sound alike. Expended means ____.
a) spent or used up
b) grew bigger
c) made wider
d) pushed out
Show answer
a) spent or used up
2. When a city has expanded, it has ____.
a) lost its people
b) spread over more land
c) closed its roads
d) changed its name
Show answer
b) spread over more land
