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
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.
Accelerated by social media and generative AI, what once took months to build can now metastasize in hours. Felicia Jackson, Forbes.com, 11 July 2025 What Lyne crafted in the 1980s has metastasized into a cultural operating system. arkansasonline.com, 10 July 2025 Book follows cancer diagnosis fueling questions about Biden's fitness for office The release came a few days after the revelation that Biden, 82, has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, one that has metastasized to the bone. Davis Winkie, USA Today, 21 May 2025 By Friday, he was diagnosed with cancer that had metastasized to his bones. Nathaniel Weixel, The Hill, 19 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for metastasize

Word History

First Known Use

1907, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of metastasize was in 1907

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Cite this Entry

“Metastasize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/metastasize. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.

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
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