Synonyms of protract

protract

verb

prō-ˈtrakt 

as in to lengthen

to make longer

the highway project was protracted by years of litigation

Synonyms & Similar Words

• lengthen
• extend
• prolong
• increase
• stretch
• elongate
• draw out
• drag (out)
• expand
• enlarge
• outstretch
• amplify
• attenuate
• thin

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• shorten
• curtail
• cut
• reduce
• cut back
• diminish
• decrease
• lessen
• abridge
• abbreviate
• thicken

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb protract contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of protract are extend, lengthen, and prolong. While all these words mean "to draw out or add to so as to increase in length," protract adds to prolong implications of needlessness, vexation, or indefiniteness.

protracted litigation

How are the words extend and lengthen related as synonyms of protract?

Both 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

Where would prolong be a reasonable alternative to protract?

In some situations, the words prolong and protract are roughly equivalent. However, prolong suggests chiefly increase in duration especially beyond usual limits.

prolonged illness

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of protract

The program was made possible with a fast-acting First Emergency Response grant from Education Cannot Wait (ECW), the global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises in the UN. —Forbes, 21 Feb. 2025

President Nixon’s behavior caused grave tensions between the three branches of government, but the buildup was protracted and gradual. —Mattathias Schwartz, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2025

The Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) protracted and byzantine process for issuing Starship launch licenses to SpaceX, critical for Starship lunar lander development, is an example. —John Kross, Space.com, 3 Feb. 2025

Lynch’s staging is, agonizingly at times, protracted. —Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 16 Jan. 2025