as in extension
the act of making longer
his habitual prolonging of any task so that it fills up an entire afternoon
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in lengthening
to make longer
would like to prolong our vacation by any means possible
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of prolonging
Paul Webster Hare, The Conversation, 19 Jan. 2026
The prolonging of the war has also ratcheted up Israel’s isolation on the world stage.
—New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 15 June 2026
The idea here is to dissuade teams from prolonging their rebuilds.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 2 June 2026
The green beans provide shade, prolonging the spinach growing season by preventing bolting and excess sun exposure.
—Wendy Rose Gould, Martha Stewart, 27 May 2026
In other words, that men live longer and healthier lives if they are backed up by a spouse in doing so, while women don’t see the same support in prolonging their length and quality of life.
—Katharina Buchholz, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
Kabuga, somewhere in his 90s — his age is disputed — and suffering from severe dementia, had been forced to remain in the United Nations detention facility in The Hague after he was found unfit to stand trial in 2023 as no country was willing to take him in, prolonging the case against him.
—ABC News, 20 May 2026
Regular Harvesting Frequent picking is essential for prolonging your cucumber harvest.
—Shelby Vittek, The Spruce, 13 May 2026
Iran has continued to block ships from passing through the strait, disrupting critical Gulf oil supplies and prolonging the global economic uncertainty surrounding the conflict.
—Peter Nicholas, NBC news, 10 May 2026
Okert walked Ward on five pitches, prolonging the pitching staff’s season-defining propensity.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 1 May 2026
Noun
Looking ahead, Trump’s prolonging of Chavismo is a political gamble in Florida – a state where many Latin Republican voters despise the system and any dealing with socialist governments.
—Paul Webster Hare, The Conversation, 19 Jan. 2026
The prolonging of the war has also ratcheted up Israel’s isolation on the world stage.
—New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
Verb
There is potential for a drier, warmer summer across the Northwest, northern Plains, and the Upper Midwest, prolonging ongoing drought in some areas and increasing wildfire risk, according to AccuWeather.
—Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 15 June 2026
The idea here is to dissuade teams from prolonging their rebuilds.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 2 June 2026
The green beans provide shade, prolonging the spinach growing season by preventing bolting and excess sun exposure.
—Wendy Rose Gould, Martha Stewart, 27 May 2026
In other words, that men live longer and healthier lives if they are backed up by a spouse in doing so, while women don’t see the same support in prolonging their length and quality of life.
—Katharina Buchholz, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
Kabuga, somewhere in his 90s — his age is disputed — and suffering from severe dementia, had been forced to remain in the United Nations detention facility in The Hague after he was found unfit to stand trial in 2023 as no country was willing to take him in, prolonging the case against him.
—ABC News, 20 May 2026
Regular Harvesting Frequent picking is essential for prolonging your cucumber harvest.
—Shelby Vittek, The Spruce, 13 May 2026
Iran has continued to block ships from passing through the strait, disrupting critical Gulf oil supplies and prolonging the global economic uncertainty surrounding the conflict.
—Peter Nicholas, NBC news, 10 May 2026
Okert walked Ward on five pitches, prolonging the pitching staff’s season-defining propensity.
—Chandler Rome, New York Times, 1 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prolonging
Noun
-
Matt Chapman signed his extension before Posey took over, but his first big move was bringing in free-agent shortstop Willy Adames.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2026
-
While there are lash-growth serums, lengthening mascaras, and even professional lash extensions, knowing when and how to use each of these methods is what will actually make a difference.—
Alanna Martine Kilkeary,
Glamour,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
While there are lash-growth serums, lengthening mascaras, and even professional lash extensions, knowing when and how to use each of these methods is what will actually make a difference.—
Alanna Martine Kilkeary,
Glamour,
17 June 2026
-
The other is the bears’ lengthening year.—
John Drake,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
Noun
-
The prolongation was 242 days in 2023 and 346 days in 2024, according to the report.—
Steve Sadin,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Orioles made those big moves in signing Pete Alonso and trading for and extending Shane Baz.—
Stephen J. Nesbitt,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
-
Different genes for different cytokines, growth factors or other proteins could be swapped in to target specific diseases of the ocular surface, potentially extending the approach beyond corneal wounds to chronic inflammatory conditions.—
Samantha Agate,
Charlotte Observer,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
The doctor was optimistic that Caldwell’s recent discomfort came from tight muscles, rather than nerve damage, and recommended a stretching and strengthening regimen.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 June 2026
-
Also, successful leaders often identify opportunities (generally lower risk) for team members to practice stretching and building new skills.—
Liz Guthridge,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
Verb
-
In the study, which analyzed data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health collected between 2021 and 2024, researchers say that despite numerous state-level bans on kratom across the nation, its use is at an all-time high and is increasing.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
-
These whales face increasing threats from climate change and human activity.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
19 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prolonging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prolonging. Accessed 20 Jun. 2026.
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