span 1 of 2

verb

Definition of spannext
as in to measure
to find out the size, extent, or amount of tried to span the distance between the two trees by eye alone

Synonyms & Similar Words

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span

2 of 2

noun

1
as in pair

Related Words
2
as in year

Related Words

Example 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 span
Verb
The discourse has spanned from high school sports to international competitions and pro leagues like the WNBA, where a pair of male former NBA players are currently claiming to identify as women to pressure a more definitive policy. — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 14 Aug. 2026 Sudan itself had gained independence in 1956 from Great Britain, but conflict between the north and the south had taken the form of lengthy civil wars spanning decades (1955–72 and 1983–2005). — Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Aug. 2026
Noun
Of the three other powerful El Niños on record during that span — in 1982-83, 1997-98 and 2015-16 — two brought above-average rain to Southern California. — Los Angeles Times, 13 Aug. 2026 Automakers have recalled approximately 21 million vehicles in that span, including almost 6 million just last year, according to a Bloomberg analysis of National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for span
Recent Examples of Synonyms for span
  1. measure
  2. pair
  3. year
  4. gauge
  5. couple
  6. space
  7. scale
  8. yoke
Verb
  • Phil Buckingham Ipswich Town A more balanced and measured transfer approach has been undertaken by Ipswich this summer compared to their last campaign in the Premier League two years ago.
    — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Opportunity costs can be measured in dollars, but don’t have to be.
    — Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of measure
Noun
  • The pair are part of an international, multi-institutional rescue mission to rehome 30 beluga whales after the sudden closure of the Niagara Falls marine park.
    — CBS Atlanta Digital Team, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Like Gerber, accessorize for elegant nights out on the town with Gucci’s iconic Jackie 1961 handbag and, for an unexpected finish, a pair of black ballet flats.
    — Laura Jackson, Vogue, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of pair
Noun
  • There have been a number of albums this year that go into the side effects of fame — Ariana Grande’s in a big way, Phoebe Bridgers’ to a lesser extent — but no one is quite so humble or conflicted about it as Kahan.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Morris has held other leadership roles in education before stepping into her current position, first leading the school’s Dallas-area campus in Irving, Texas, then returning to the Atlanta area last year to lead the campus in Decatur.
    — Carson Bonner, AJC.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of year
Verb
  • The Chicago school board voted to add two questions to the November ballot gauging whether city voters would support drumming up new revenue for Chicago Public Schools.
    — Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Blackmore contacted front man Ian Gillan to gauge his interest in such a reunion, something that wasn’t able to be accomplished at the band’s 2016 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
    — Devon Ivie, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of gauge
Noun
  • Diagnoses of autism, a neurodevelopmental condition that affects how people communicate and behave, have increased roughly fivefold over the past couple of decades.
    — Amanda Seitz, CBS News, 17 Aug. 2026
  • If both parties are PLA members, superiors must step in to mediate the relationship breakdown, and the couple can only get a civil divorce with the military’s approval, which can result in a longer process.
    — Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of couple
Noun
  • Take space, check the facts, and choose the option that feels both calm and sustainable.
    — Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Instead, Farage's main opponent is Count Binface, a political satirist posing as a comic space alien, with a keen interest in earthly matters, including the positioning of a hand dryer in the men's toilet in a pub in west London.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of space
Verb
  • Ventyra has scaled the hardware down to true backpacking proportions.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 12 Aug. 2026
  • Price will scale with add-ons, obviously, and these Design Lab gamepads tend to balloon pretty quickly.
    — Mitch Wallace, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of scale
Noun
  • The yoke seam runs inverted, sitting over the leg panel rather than beneath it.
    — Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 14 Aug. 2026
  • The yoke-like steering features hammered aluminum bits, referencing the armor worn by medieval knights.
    — Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of yoke

Phrases Containing span

Browse Nearby Words

spalls
span
spangle
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Cite this Entry

“Span.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/span. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on span

Nglish: Translation of span for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about span

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