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enlarge

Definition of enlargenext
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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb enlarge contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of enlarge are augment, increase, and multiply. While all these words mean "to make or become greater," enlarge implies expansion or extension that makes greater in size or capacity.

enlarged the kitchen

In what contexts can augment take the place of enlarge?

Although the words augment and enlarge have much in common, augment implies addition to what is already well grown or well developed.

the inheritance augmented his fortune

When might increase be a better fit than enlarge?

The words increase and enlarge are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, increase used intransitively implies progressive growth in size, amount, or intensity; used transitively it may imply simple not necessarily progressive addition.

his waistline increased with age
increased her landholdings

Where would multiply be a reasonable alternative to enlarge?

While in some cases nearly identical to enlarge, multiply implies increase in number by natural generation or by indefinite repetition of a process.

with each attempt the problems multiplied

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 enlarge Trusting her instincts, Arden took Fern to an emergency vet, where an ultrasound revealed that Fern’s heart was enlarged and fluid was building in her chest. Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025 Since first announcing the Poseidon and Burevestnik in 2018, Putin has cast them as a response to moves by the United States to build a missile defense shield after Washington in 2001 unilaterally withdrew from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, and to enlarge the NATO military alliance. Reuters, NBC news, 29 Oct. 2025 It is characterized by irregular menstrual cycles, excess androgen (male hormone) levels, and polycystic ovaries, which are enlarged ovaries containing numerous small cysts. Memorialcare Medical Group, Oc Register, 23 Oct. 2025 The town gradually raised the money not just to reconstruct it but to enlarge and improve it, adding new facilities for disabled children. Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 19 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for enlarge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enlarge
Verb
  • The committee approved Lucas’s amendment and approved the recommendation to increase funding for the temporary jail.
    Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 7 Jan. 2026
  • Iwobi’s movement drags Ladislav Krejci wider, increasing the space between the lines and creating a clear passing angle for Calvin Bassey.
    Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Flywing also plans to expand the competitive side of the platform.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 9 Jan. 2026
  • Neutrality allowed the nation to build strength, expand westward, and avoid the ideological contagions sweeping the continent.
    Daniel Ross Goodman, The Washington Examiner, 9 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Hudson, for her part, felt liberated.
    David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 8 Jan. 2026
  • Russia’s president has claimed that his invasion of Ukraine was a mission to liberate the people of that country.
    M. Gessen, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • There were 107 homicides in Kansas City in 2012, and while that number dipped to as low as 82 homicides in 2014, the number of homicides continued to rise until a peak in 2023 at 182 homicides.
    Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 12 Jan. 2026
  • Tensions rise when Nora, a stage actress, rejects Gustav's offer to star in his comeback film and is forced to confront her feelings toward her estranged father.
    Yamillah Hurtado, PEOPLE, 12 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The race to commercialize perovskite technology has accelerated rapidly in recent years.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 12 Jan. 2026
  • The transfer portal, which opened Friday, allows programs to accelerate the rebuilding process and replace departing players — more than 20 in Florida’s case.
    Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Pots, pans, trays, and lots of utensils can be shoved onto oven shelves to free up counter and kitchen table space.
    Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 12 Jan. 2026
  • The engine, freed from its hook by a sudden hard, precise kick, quickly sank into the river, pulling the cord tight and dragging the foreman underwater.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • But the longstanding regime’s grasp on power now appears more tenuous than ever as the swelling opposition movement demands substantive change.
    Mitchell McCluskey, CNN Money, 12 Jan. 2026
  • Tensions mount in Minneapolis Hundreds of people took to the streets of Minneapolis to protest within hours of Good’s death and demonstrations have continued to swell in the ensuing days.
    Michael Loria, USA Today, 11 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • This innovative approach not only speeds the design process but also frees up designers to focus on more creative tasks, demonstrating how AI can be used as a tool to augment human creativity rather than replace it.
    Li Jun, Footwear News, 11 Jan. 2026
  • Powell levels could be augmented by Upper Basin contributions to protect infrastructure.
    Debra Utacia Krol, AZCentral.com, 10 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Enlarge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enlarge. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on enlarge

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