as they expanded

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "as they expanded" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a situation or action that occurs simultaneously with the process of expansion, often in a context related to growth or development. Example: "The company saw an increase in revenue as they expanded their product line to include more options for consumers."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

47 human-written examples

Many started moving abroad to follow existing corporate customers as they expanded internationally.

The Economist

As their empire expanded, the Romans put up lighthouses as quickly as they expanded trading routes.

The Economist

How could she insure that charters, as they expanded, enrolled a representative share of Newark's neediest children?

The New Yorker

Two movies hoping for a lift from last week's Oscar nominations saw bumps as they expanded into more theaters.

The New York Times

In the past five years, as they expanded to urban areas, they have been lending to men as well.

The New Yorker

And domestic Hines tenants had complained about not being able to find office space and housing as they expanded abroad.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

13 human-written examples

Supernova remnants evolve through four stages as they expand.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Smart companies combine the two models as they expand.

Harvard Business Review

As they expand, they seal the wellbore more efficiently, increasing the pressure of the fracking fluid.

The New Yorker

As they expand, they increasingly need workers able to handle the complexities of multi-site operations.

The Economist

"As they expand in popularity, they will only have to worry about these challenges more.

The New York Times - Tech

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "as they expanded" to clearly indicate a simultaneous relationship between growth and another action or state. For instance, "As they expanded their business, they faced new challenges."

Common error

Avoid using "as they expanded" when the action is a direct result of the expansion, rather than occurring simultaneously. Use "because they expanded" or "due to their expansion" in such cases.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "as they expanded" functions as an adverbial clause of time, indicating that something else occurred concurrently with the process of expansion. Ludwig AI confirms this through numerous real-world examples.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

62%

Encyclopedias

10%

Science

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Academia

3%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "as they expanded" functions as an adverbial clause denoting simultaneity, predominantly used in news and media, encyclopedia, and science contexts. Ludwig AI’s analysis reveals that it effectively provides background by linking events to periods of growth. While grammatically correct and frequently employed, its use should be reserved for situations where the expansion and the related action occur concurrently, avoiding potential causal misinterpretations. Alternatives like "while they grew" or "during their expansion" can provide similar meanings, adapting to different shades of expression. "As they expanded" is a versatile clause for contextualizing events during growth phases.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

while they were growing

This alternative replaces "expanded" with "growing", focusing on the process of increase in size or scope.

during their expansion

This option uses a noun phrase to describe the period of expansion, instead of a clause.

as they grew larger

This emphasizes the increase in size aspect of expansion.

with their increasing size

This alternative uses a prepositional phrase to indicate the condition of increasing size.

as they extended their reach

This emphasizes the widening of influence or activity.

while they broadened their scope

This alternative focuses on the aspect of widening the area of activity.

during their development

This focuses on a more general process of growth and improvement.

as they spread out

This alternative emphasizes the aspect of distribution and geographical spread.

in parallel with their enlargement

This alternative uses a more formal and technical term for growth.

as their operations scaled up

This focuses on the increase in production or business activity.

FAQs

How can I use "as they expanded" in a sentence?

Use "as they expanded" to describe something that happened concurrently with a group's or organization's growth, for example: "As they expanded, their influence grew."

What are some alternatives to "as they expanded"?

You can use phrases like "while they were growing", "during their expansion", or "as they grew larger" depending on the specific context.

Is there a difference between "as they expanded" and "because they expanded"?

"As they expanded" indicates that two things happened at the same time. "Because they expanded" indicates a cause-and-effect relationship; the expansion caused something else to happen.

Which is better, "as they expanded" or "during their expansion"?

Both "as they expanded" and "during their expansion" are correct, but "as they expanded" is a clause that can directly connect two actions in a sentence, whereas "during their expansion" typically requires additional phrasing.