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.
Her cancer had recently metastasized all over her body. Glenn Garner, Deadline, 28 Mar. 2025 The disease had progressed during the past four years, and the primary tumor located on his tongue had metastasized into his lymph nodes on both sides of his neck. Vanessa Etienne, People.com, 25 Mar. 2025 If those structures are not in place, a localized problem can quickly metastasize. Benjamin Laker, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025 But as commercialization took hold, the event metastasized into a pit of hard drugs, drunkenness, and debauch a world apart from its bohemian origins. Charlie Campbell, TIME, 17 Mar. 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Metastasize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/metastasize. Accessed 3 Apr. 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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