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[puzzle]

Dear teachers,
Here is a sentence like this: "The population of California more than doubled during the period 1940-1960" . How to understand "more than doubled"? Does "more than" here modify "doubled"? Is there any other examples for "more than+verb"?
Thank you!

[CP]

When something doubles, or doubles in size, it increases to twice the original size. If the population is 10 million in 1940 and doubles by 1960, it becomes 2 X 10 million = 20 million. If it more than doubles, it becomes more than 20 million by 1960.

Although "more than" usually modifies an adjective ("more than happy") or an adverb ("more than ever"), it can also intensify a verb. The family more than shared, they showered gifts on their guests. At work he more than participated, he threw himself into it wholeheartedly.
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