enlarge

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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 In 2010 the company expanded the location in Costa Mesa, enlarging its cafe, oyster bar and deli section. Samantha Gowen, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2025 Meanwhile, the administration is removing protections from deportation for some people, enlarging the pool of people who could be arrested and would need to be detained. Suzanne Gamboa, NBC News, 14 Feb. 2025 And while there are occasional deserters, the intellectual stratum is enlarging. Marquis William Childs, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025 The remodel, which starts Feb. 17, will make city offices more secure by enlarging the assistant clerk’s office and creating a new waiting room area for visitors with window access to the clerk’s office, officials said. Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 3 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for enlarge
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enlarge
Verb
  • China is facilitating this by strengthening cooperation with Russia on research and commercial activities, as well as by increasing China's national icebreaker capacity.
    Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 3 Mar. 2025
  • Israel has also increased public funding for projects by Israeli filmmakers from West Bank settlements — the very enterprise that the film No Other Land criticizes as taking over Palestinian homes and land.
    Nuha Musleh, NPR, 3 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • These actions are leaving the U.S. vulnerable despite years of evidence that Russia is committed to continuing and expanding its cyber efforts, according to Liana Keesing, campaigns manager for technology reform at Issue One, a nonprofit that has studied technology’s impact on democracy.
    David Klepper, Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2025
  • Success in this new landscape depends on maintaining high-quality standards while effectively harnessing AI's capabilities to enhance and expand data resources.
    Deepak Yadav, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The Dolphins’ two options would be releasing him (which wouldn’t free up significant cap space until after June 1) or keeping him but with terms of the contract adjusted to save Miami money and cap space.
    Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2025
  • The inmates took over, killing guards and freeing everyone; Trent helped himself to a dead guard’s uniform, radio and weapon (as well as the knife sticking out of his chest), and used it to pose as a law-enforcement official helping manage the chaos as people flocked to Paradise in their cars.
    Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 4 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Graffiti, street stickers, and paintings dot the streets, suggesting that millions of Berliners bike through an invisible Fourth Reich that is rising all around them.
    Timothy Nerozzi, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 28 Feb. 2025
  • The shift may not only draw anger from Israel's emboldened far right but also aggravate divisions within Trump's own administration between an old conservative guard seeking a more assertive posture on Iran and the rising cadre of Trump loyalists who more closely share the president's vision.
    Dan Perry, Newsweek, 28 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Probably the most significant factor is the company's ever-present pressure to accelerate, even while taking on more and more challenging tasks.
    Ryan Whitwam, Ars Technica, 10 Mar. 2025
  • If Ukraine and the U.S. reach an understanding acceptable to Trump, that could accelerate his administration’s push to peace talks.
    Matthew Lee and Hanna Arhirova, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • That was really liberating at the time for women and looked scary to men.
    A Martínez, NPR, 7 Mar. 2025
  • This might fly in the face of everything a business leader has been taught about being an expert, but trust me, the results of this kind of thinking are liberating.
    Christian Davies FCSD, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Also known as Triple E, the virus swells the brain, and kills about one in three patients.
    Denise Hruby, Orlando Sentinel, 6 Mar. 2025
  • The imbalance swelled to a record $131.4 billion in January, a 34% increase from the prior month and nearly double from a year ago.
    Jeff Cox, CNBC, 6 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • Conrad called steel guitarist Justin Schipper in to augment the band the next day at The Smoakstack, a studio loaded with guitars — and ceramic figures — in Nashville’s Berry Hill neighborhood.
    Tom Roland, Billboard, 27 Feb. 2025
  • Possibilities include accelerating drug discovery, augmenting preclinical or clinical research, predicting potential product quality issues and optimizing testing protocols.
    Aman Wasan, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Enlarge.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enlarge. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on enlarge

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