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What are Extend and Expand? Distinguishing Extend and Expand

Extend and Expand are two familiar verbs in English that are often confused in usage. In today’s article, let’s explore the definition, usage, collocation, and distinctions between Extend and Expand with PREP!

Differences between 2 words Extend and Expand in English

I. Definition of Expand
1. 1. Phrasal verbs with Expand
2. 2. Collocation with Expend
I. Definition of Extend
III. Differences between Extend and Expand
IV. Exercises for distinguishing Extend and Expand
1. 1. Exercise: Fill in the blanks with Extend vs Expand
2. 2. Answer

I. Definition of Expand

Expand is pronounced /ɪkˈspænd/ and acts as a verb. The Expand meaning is: to increase in size, number, or importance, or to make something increase in this way. For example:

They expanded their retail operations during the 1870s.
Student numbers are expanding rapidly.

1. Phrasal verbs with Expand

Phrasal verbs with Expand	Meaning	Example
Expand on/ upon something	to provide additional or clarify detailed information about something.	Richard studied with Smith and expanded upon many of his theories.
Expand into sth	to enter or extend into (a market).	These companies need to expand into new markets because they have reached market saturation at home.

2. Collocation with Expend

Collocation with Expend	Example
Expand rapidly/ greatly/ significantly	The organic market is rapidly expanding among middle-class shoppers.
Expand the range/ scope/ capacity	Supermarkets continue to expand the range of products and services offered in their outlets.
Expand a business/ company/ programme	The company decided to expend significant resources to expand its business into international markets.

I. Definition of Extend

Extend is pronounced /ɪkˈspænd/ and acts as a verb. The Extend meaning is: to add to something in order to make it bigger or longer;to stretch something out; to offer or give something to someone. For example:

We have plans to extend our house.
I would like to extend my thanks to everybody for making this evening a success.

1. Phrasal Verbs with Extend

Phrasal Verbs with Extend	Example
extend for	The Sahara Desert extends for miles.
extend beyond	The path extends beyond the end of the alley.
extend to	Rain is expected to extend to all parts of the country by this evening.

2. Words/phrases associated with Extend

Words/phrases associated with Extend	Example
extend your thanks to someone	Please extend your thanks to Sarah for her hard work on the project.
extend a welcome to someone	We are happy to extend a warm welcome to our new team members.
extend an agreement/ a contract/ a deadline	The company decided to extend the agreement for another year.
extend benefits/ coverage	The organization plans to extend benefits to part-time employees starting next month.
extend credit	The bank agreed to extend credit to the small business to help with its expansion plans.

3. Synonyms with Extend

Synonyms with Extend	Meaning	Example
Increase /ɪnˈkriːs/	to (make something) become larger in amount or size	The company plans to increase its workforce by 20% next year.
Grow /ɡroʊ/	to increase in size or amount, or to become more advanced or developed	The population of the city has grown rapidly over the last decade.
Rise /raɪz/	to increase	Inflation is rising at 2.1 percent a month.
Go up /ɡoʊ ʌp/	to move higher, rise, or increase	The prices of groceries have gone up significantly this year.
Escalate /ˈɛskəˌleɪt/	to become or make something become greater or more serious	The conflict escalated into a full-scale war.
Rocket /ˈrɑːkɪt/	to rise extremely quickly or make extremely quick progress towards success	The company's stock price rocketed after the announcement of their new product.
Soar /sɔːr/	to rise very quickly to a high level	Housing prices have continued to soar in the last year.
Expand /ɪkˈspænd/	to increase in size, number, or importance, or to make something increase in this way	The company plans to expand its operations into new markets.
Maximize /ˈmæksɪˌmaɪz/	to make something as great in amount, size, or importance as possible	Some airlines have canceled less popular routes in an effort to maximize profits.

III. Differences between Extend and Expand

Let’s distinguish between Expand and Extend in the table below!

Differences between Extend vs Expand	Expand	Extend
Usage	Expand is used when talking about increasing or enlarging the scale, scope, area, or size of something.	Extend is used when talking about prolonging something in terms of time or space.
Example	The balloon expands as you blow air into it.	We need to extend the table to fit more people.

IV. Exercises for distinguishing Extend and Expand

To better understand the differences between Extend and Expand, let’s complete the practice exercises below!

1. Exercise: Fill in the blanks with Extend vs Expand

The company plans to _______ its product line to include new electronics.
Anna _______ her hand to shake hands with the new colleague.
The company _______ its warranty period to provide better customer support.
As the population grows, the city needs to _______ its infrastructure.
The universe continues to _______ after the Big Bang.
We are planning to _______ our business into international markets.
The teacher agreed to _______ the deadline for the assignment by one week.
We decided to _______ our vacation by a few more days.
The bridge _______ over the river for more than a mile.
The software update will _______ the program's features.

2. Answer

Expand
Extended
Extended
Expand
Expand

Expand
Extend
Extend
Extends
Expand

Above, PREP has shared with you the concepts, usage, and distinctions between Extend and Expand. Keep following PREP for more useful English knowledge!

Master Tu Pham

Founder/CEO at Prep

Founder of Prep Smart Test Preparation Platform. With over 10 years of experience in teaching and test preparation, Mr. Tú has helped thousands of students achieve high scores in the IELTS exam. In addition, Mr. Tú Phạm is also a consulting expert in British Council programs and a speaker at many leading educational events, programs, and conferences.