protract

verb

pro·​tract prō-ˈtrakt 

prə-

protracted; protracting; protracts

transitive verb

1

: to prolong in time or space : continue

2

: to extend forward or outward compare retract sense 1

3

archaic : delay, defer

protractive

prō-ˈtrak-tiv 

prə-

adjective

Synonyms

• drag (out)
• draw out
• elongate
• extend
• lengthen
• outstretch
• prolong
• stretch

Choose the Right Synonym for protract

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 protract in a Sentence

the highway project was protracted by years of litigation

Recent Examples on the Web

Separately, a chilling recent report in Sky News Arabia detailed how in the capital, Khartoum, protracted, grueling urban warfare has led to a spike in the migration of European vultures and a boom in the population of stray dogs, all drawn to the city’s carrion. —Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2024

Litigation is not always long and protracted—indeed, their counsel may be able to seek a speedy resolution of their ERC claim through settlement discussions with DOJ-Tax, depending on the strength of their ERC claim. —Matthew Roberts, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024

The decision by India to cut its population off from TikTok was as sudden as the American efforts, which began in 2020, are protracted. —Suhasini Raj, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2024

Rarely have intraparty battles between Republicans in Texas been as bitter, protracted and consequential as the primary contests culminating in Election Day on Tuesday. —J. David Goodman, New York Times, 3 Mar. 2024

Saturday’s event marked the 2-year anniversary of the bitter invasion and protracted war that has displaced millions and killed, according to recent numbers from President Volodymyr Zelensky, 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers. —Joe Rubin, Sacramento Bee, 27 Feb. 2024

These take the form of painful, protracted firsthand recollections of bloodshed and desolation, from stories of buildings destroyed by artillery shells, to accounts of mothers and grandmothers forced to step up from behind the confines of femininity and social expectation. —Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 16 Feb. 2024

Even if Hamas agrees to the framework, negotiations between the two sides regarding those numbers could prove protracted. —Matt Bradley, NBC News, 4 Feb. 2024

Pitt’s revelations came in the wake of his 2016 divorce from Jolie, which has devolved into bitter and protracted legal battles over the custody of their six children and the division of assets. —Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin protractus, past participle of protrahere, literally, to draw forward, from pro- forward + trahere to draw — more at pro-

First Known Use

1540, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Kids Definition

protract

verb

pro·​tract prō-ˈtrakt 

: prolong

Medical Definition

protract

transitive verb

pro·​tract prō-ˈtrakt 

: to extend forward or outward

the mandible is protracted and retracted in chewing

compare retract