During the sixteenth century the population more than doubled.
As soon as you read it, you know what it means, but upon closer scrutiny, does the construction mean what is meant?
To me, it seems that there is a strange verb in this sentence: more-than-double. And now the population has "more-than-doubled"!
But because I assume it far-fetched for such a verb to exist, the only other possibility left is to consider the sentence as  wrong. Any insight on that?
Hope not to have yet tired you with such questions of mine! 🙂
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I enjoy your questions though I have nothing to say back this time.
Just this- maybe because there's no better way to say it than just it. Do you have a suggestion?
She more than loves him. She worships him.
The concert more than entertains. It mesmerizes.
Housing prices more than doubles. They go through the roof.
I'd say that more than is an adverbial phrase modifying doubled, in the same way that quickly modifies spread in "The fire quickly spread."
It seems to me that "more than doubled" implies it's at least 2x, but definitely not 3x, and probably not even 2.5x. That is quite different from the interpretation in response #2, though...
That sounds right- the exact number would be left unsaid, but implicitly understood to be close.
Exaggeration might be used to bragging or sarcastic effects:
More than doubled eh? (Roll eyes) Try shot through the roof !