Literally no one thinks that "printing money" is a literal term. But it is a much better analogy of what is going on than the term "expanding the money supply" which implies that everyone's wallet is equally expanded. They do in fact forge new money from nothing for themselves and spend that money. Initially buying bonds from the government in an egg shell game that creates the illusion that the government is getting that money to spend. Then they sell those bonds and keep that cash, or rather buy up real assets. They in effect printed money. They did not cause every dollar to turn into 2 dollars. So "printing money" is the most accurate way to describe what is happening.