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as in to expand
to arrange the parts of (something) over a wider area you can extend that chaise longue so that it lies completely flat

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

4
as in to lead
to be positioned along a certain course or in a certain direction our backyard extends all the way to that brook

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb extend contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of extend are lengthen, prolong, and protract. While all these words mean "to draw out or add to so as to increase in length," extend and lengthen imply a drawing out in space or time but extend may also imply increase in width, scope, area, or range.

extend a vacation
extend welfare services
lengthen a skirt
lengthen the workweek

When would prolong be a good substitute for extend?

The words prolong and extend can be used in similar contexts, but prolong suggests chiefly increase in duration especially beyond usual limits.

prolonged illness

How do protract and prolong relate to one another, in the sense of extend?

Protract adds to prolong implications of needlessness, vexation, or indefiniteness.

protracted litigation

Examples Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of extend Click here to sign up & get it in your inbox {/if}} Tax Watch Trump takes office, kicking off tax fight Welcome to Tax Watch, a new feature in The Hill’s Business & Economy newsletter focused on the fight over tax reform and the push to extend the 2017 Trump tax cuts this year. Aris Folley, The Hill, 20 Jan. 2025 Bitcoin extended its rally last week and topped the $100,000 level. Lisa Kailai Han,gabriel Cortés, CNBC, 20 Jan. 2025 Last fall, Roan decided not to extend her tour and instead focused on her physical and mental health. Mitchell Peters, Billboard, 20 Jan. 2025 Trump extended an invitation to Chinese president Xi Jinping to attend the inaguration. Lionel Lim, Fortune Asia, 20 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for extend 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extend
Verb
  • As climate change lengthens the shipping season, Greenland occupies an important strategic location.
    John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2025
  • Here are some tips for buying and storing the vegetables used in the following recipes, suggestions to help lengthen their freshness: Bell Peppers: Select those with glossy, smooth skin without soft spots or wrinkles.
    Cathy Thomas, Orange County Register, 1 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • El Car Wash offers equity ownership across the business so employees can benefit from the company’s profits along with professional development and career training opportunities to retain and promote staff, according to Karas.
    Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 24 Jan. 2025
  • To celebrate the release of this new single barrel pick, Knob Creek is offering fans a chance to win a trip to the distillery that includes a hotel stay, roundtrip airfare, and a $1,000 gift card to the American Outpost gift store (that’s a lot of whiskey stones).
    Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 24 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Preserving, nature, history, and culture for future generations All told, Biden created 10 new national monuments and expanded 2 others during his term, tying him for eighth place, with William Taft, for the most monuments designated by a president.
    Bailey Berg, AFAR Media, 15 Jan. 2025
  • While teams build local fan bases, league executives are also keen to grow individual player brands, recognizing the way other women’s sports stars—such as Caitlin Clark, Ilona Maher, Alex Morgan and Serena Williams—have expanded the fan bases for their sports.
    Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 15 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Musk filed a lawsuit against the CCC in October, leading the state to respond on Tuesday that the case should be thrown out because of a lack of injury, noting the Air Force decided to go ahead with and expand SpaceX launches anyway.
    Kenneth Schrupp | The Center Square, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 17 Jan. 2025
  • Those changes could potentially cut federal spending for the program by more than $2 trillion over the next decade and lead millions to lose their coverage.
    Ryan Levi, NPR, 17 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Research suggests high levels can increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and arrhythmias, while also raising blood pressure.
    Angela Haupt, TIME, 14 Jan. 2025
  • Investment in women's health is increasing, from VC to private equity.
    Geri Stengel, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Over-reliance on logos weakens brands over time, just as an over-saturation of stores dilutes their allure.
    Stéphane JG Girod, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2025
  • Chlorine beach is an excellent disinfectant for the kitchen but even if it is diluted with water, surfaces should be rinsed before they are used for food preparation.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 1 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Grady lectures Blake on the fragility of life, teaching tough-love survival skills as a means of prolonging it.
    Peter Debruge, Variety, 15 Jan. 2025
  • The gamification of wildfire containment has raised ethical questions about a system that could, in theory, offers gamblers a perverse incentive to find ways to prolong the devastation in order to win their bets.
    Michael Gfoeller And David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • His son, who had drifted away from art, was given the chance to complete it. 10 Best Books of 2024: The staff of The New York Times Book Review has chosen the year’s top fiction and nonfiction.
    Sadie Stein, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2025
  • There are gold pulls that make the piece look luxe, a flat bottom construction that increases stability and gives it a clean look, and fluted wood on the front for a mid-century modern-inspired design.
    Shea Simmons, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near extend

Cite this Entry

“Extend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extend. Accessed 27 Jan. 2025.

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