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metastasize
verb
me·tas·ta·size
mə-ˈta-stə-ˌsīz
metastasized; metastasizing
: to spread or grow by or as if by metastasis
died of lung cancer which had metastasized throughout his body—
G. P. Elliott
Examples of metastasize in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Cancer has metastasized and spread to distant sites throughout the body.
—
Christopher Bergland, Verywell Health, 1 Aug. 2024
Then in February 2020, Doherty revealed that her breast cancer had metastasized to Stage 4.
—
Erin Jensen, USA TODAY, 14 July 2024
Sudanese have been stunned by the destruction, but neither side looks capable of victory, and the war is metastasizing into a devastating free-for-all.
—
Declan Walsh Ivor Prickett, New York Times, 5 June 2024
And as the power of the presidency in foreign affairs has metastasized far beyond the role envisioned by the framers, the public has lost sight of the framers’ intent.
—
Frank O. Bowman Iii, Foreign Affairs, 25 Nov. 2019
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'metastasize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1907, in the meaning defined above
Articles Related to metastasize
Dictionary Entries Near metastasize
Cite this Entry
“Metastasize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/metastasize. Accessed 18 Aug. 2024.
Kids Definition
metastasize
verb
me·tas·ta·size
mə-ˈtas-tə-ˌsīz
: to spread or grow by or as if by metastasis
Medical Definition
metastasize
intransitive verb
me·tas·ta·size
variants
also British metastasise
metastasized also British metastasised; metastasizing also British metastasising
: to spread by metastasis
… all ten were primary brain cancers; that is, they had originated in the brain, and not metastasized there from elsewhere in the body.—
Paul Brodeur, The New Yorker
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