metastasize

verb

me·​tas·​ta·​size mə-ˈta-stə-ˌsīz How to pronounce metastasize (audio)
metastasized; metastasizing

intransitive verb

: to spread or grow by or as if by metastasis
died of lung cancer which had metastasized throughout his bodyG. P. Elliott

Examples of metastasize in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Just like humans, our canine friends can also develop soft tissue sarcomas underneath their skin, which can metastasize and spread with fatal consequences. Juergen Eckhardt, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024 In the fall of 2020, Robert Sachs was prescribed a medication to treat prostate cancer that had metastasized into some of his bones. Ed Silverman, STAT, 22 Jan. 2024 The strikes represent a significant escalation of U.S. involvement in the Middle East amid Israel’s war in Gaza − and perhaps the most dangerous escalation of a conflict that threatens to metastasize across the region. Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY, 13 Jan. 2024 The announcements came after Biden consulted with a trio of world leaders and his own national security team on Monday amid growing global concern about the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the Gaza Strip and fears that the Israel-Hamas war could metastasize into a broader regional conflict. Matthew Lee, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2023 From little cocaine acorns grow big cocaine oaks, and over several hastily elided years, that one kilo has metastasized into a full empire. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Jan. 2024 Nevertheless, anti-vaccine bunkum has clearly metastasized to our furry companions. Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 30 Aug. 2023 Now, in the first presidential election since the siege on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, those anxieties have metastasized into a grimmer, more existential dread about the very foundations of the American experiment. Lisa Lerer, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2024 In the decades since, the Golden State has grown into a gross exaggeration of every other state, complete with a housing crisis that is threatening to metastasize across the rest of the country. Alena Botros, Fortune, 16 Dec. 2023

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of metastasize was in 1907

Dictionary Entries Near metastasize

Cite this Entry

“Metastasize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/metastasize. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

metastasize

verb
me·​tas·​ta·​size mə-ˈtas-tə-ˌsīz How to pronounce metastasize (audio)
: 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
metastasization noun
also British metastasisation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!