extend

verb

ex·tend | \ ik-ˈstend

extended; extending; extends

Definition of extend

transitive verb

1 : to spread or stretch forth : unbend extended both her arms

2a : to stretch out to fullest length

b : to cause (an animal, such as a horse) to move at full stride

c : to exert (oneself) to full capacity could work long and hard without seeming to extend himself

d(1) : to increase the bulk of (as by adding a cheaper substance or a modifier)

(2) : adulterate

3 [ Middle English, from Medieval Latin extendere (from Latin) or Anglo-French estendre, from Old French ]

a British : to take possession of (something, such as land) by a writ of extent

b obsolete : to take by force

4a : to make the offer of : proffer extending aid to the needy extending their greetings

b : to make available extending credit to customers

5a : to cause to reach (as in distance or scope) national authority was extended over new territories

b : to cause to be longer : prolong extend the side of a triangle extended their visit another day also : to prolong the time of payment of

c : advance, further extending her potential through job training

6a : to cause to be of greater area or volume : enlarge extended the patio to the back of the house

b : to increase the scope, meaning, or application of : broaden beauty, I suppose, opens the heart, extends the consciousness— Algernon Blackwood

c archaic : exaggerate

intransitive verb

1 : to stretch out in distance, space, or time : reach their jurisdiction extended over the whole area

2 : to reach in scope or application his concern extends beyond mere business to real service to his customers

Other Words from extend Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about extend

Keep scrolling for more

Other Words from extend

extendability \ ik-ˌsten-də-ˈbi-lə-tē

\ noun

extendable or less commonly extendible \ ik-ˈsten-də-bəl

\ adjective

Choose the Right Synonym for extend

extend, lengthen, prolong, protract 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 prolong suggests chiefly increase in duration especially beyond usual limits. prolonged illness protract adds to prolong implications of needlessness, vexation, or indefiniteness. protracted litigation

Examples of extend in a Sentence

He extended a hand in greeting. sitting with both legs fully extended The table measures eight feet long when it is fully extended. The table extends to eight feet in length. The woods extend for miles to the west. Their knowledge of the family's history extends back to colonial times. Their influence extends well beyond their immediate circle of friends. His popularity extends from coast to coast.

Recent Examples on the Web

Doing so will extend the life of your sneakers, Ornelas says. — Isadora Baum, SELF, "Here’s How to Clean Sneakers Depending on the Material," 17 Feb. 2019 Lawmakers’ plan would extend Medicaid coverage to an additional 80,000 people, just over half of those that would have been covered under the ballot measure that voters passed in November, Republican Sen. Dan Hemmert said. — Lindsay Whitehust, The Seattle Times, "Utah reduces voter-backed Medicaid expansion in rare move," 11 Feb. 2019 Prabal Gurung, Christopher Kane, Altuzarra, Marc Jacobs and many more high fashion brands who have traditionally only provided up to sizes 10 or 12, have all risen to the task of providing extended sizing for the site. — Chrissy Rutherford, Harper's BAZAAR, "Exclusive: A First Look at 11 Honore's NYFW Debut," 6 Feb. 2019 What Microsoft hasn’t done before, though, are two things: extend its apps to the Nintendo Switch, and actually connect iOS, Android, and Switch games to its Xbox Live platform. — Mark Hachman, PCWorld, "Microsoft reportedly wants to use Xbox Live to support cross-platform games like Fortnite," 4 Feb. 2019 Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek extended his contract through 2022. — Megan Friedman, Country Living, "Alex Trebek Won’t Be Retiring From ‘Jeopardy!’ Anytime Soon," 1 Nov. 2018 Somewhere in the space between mastering false lashes, eyelash extensions, and lash lifting, there lies a Goldilocks solution to being pressed for time and not rich enough to keep my lashes indefinitely extended. — Sable Yong, Allure, "I Finally Tried Lashify's Famous False Lash System and All the Rumors Are True," 10 Oct. 2018 Later, Tesla appeared to extend this deadline to November 30. — Megan Geuss, Ars Technica, "Musk says Tesla will cover tax credit difference on missed 2018 deliveries," 26 Dec. 2018 Threw in a few more adjectives here and there to extend the pleasure of the experience. — Maggie Maloney, Town & Country, "Read Brian Mulroney's Moving Eulogy at George H.W. Bush's Funeral," 5 Dec. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'extend.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about extend

Dictionary Entries near extend

Statistics for extend

Last Updated

20 Feb 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for extend

The first known use of extend was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for extend

extend

verb

English Language Learners Definition of extend

: to cause (something, such as your arm or leg) to straighten out or to stretch out

: to become longer or to be able to become longer

: to continue in a specified direction or over a specified distance, space, or time

See the full definition for extend in the English Language Learners Dictionary

extend

verb

ex·tend | \ ik-ˈstend

extended; extending

Kids Definition of extend

1 : to hold out extend a hand

2 : to stretch out or across something There was no way of going around it, for it seemed to extend … as far as they could see …— L. Frank Baum, The Wizard of Oz

3 : to make longer extend a visit

4 : stretch entry 1 sense 2 extend a sail

5 : enlarge extend the meaning of a word