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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of span
Jake Angelo, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
The park spans nearly 1 million square kilometers to the east of the Great Barrier Reef.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 31 Mar. 2026
Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Mar. 2026
The average distance of the shots across each six-game span is quite telling, too.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for span
Verb
The dawn of remote work and the shift to digital opened up a pool of labor that spanned the globe.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
The park spans nearly 1 million square kilometers to the east of the Great Barrier Reef.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 31 Mar. 2026
Noun
The football, basketball and soccer teams hadn’t won a playoff game in that span — until Sam Houston soccer’s 3-2 bi-district victory over Irving.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Mar. 2026
The average distance of the shots across each six-game span is quite telling, too.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for span
Recent Examples of Synonyms for span
Verb
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If someone pushes you to rush, keep your tone measured and propose a reasonable deadline that protects quality and keeps expectations aligned.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Mar. 2026
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The value of home teams that money can’t measure is another.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Before any congregants showed up, however, a police car pulled into Beth El’s parking lot, and a pair of officers from the South Orange Police Department stepped out.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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However, in a pair of letters to the editor published in the Journal of Pediatrics, doctors criticized the article as hyped.—
David Hilzenrath,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In 2012, yet another bomb affixed to a car killed the thirty-two-year-old Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, along with his driver.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Christopherson, a Star resident, is wrapping up his third year as principal of Hunter Elementary in Meridian after completing his principal internship at Star and Willow Creek elementary schools.—
Noah Daly,
Idaho Statesman,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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To support the flight, there has been a sharpening of space weather forecasting skills — an ability to better gauge the sun's activity and to help assure crew safety if a hazardous uptick in solar action rears its energetic head.—
Leonard David,
Space.com,
30 Mar. 2026
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The 2026 Consumer Trust Survey was conducted by surveying 1,000 Americans to gauge consumer sentiment regarding home service costs, price transparency and provider trust.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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For families While the smaller villas are more suited for couples, there are two-bedroom villas as well as one three-bedroom villa and one four-bedroom one.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Mar. 2026
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While my mom stayed in the car to nurse the baby, my father and I went inside, and a nice elderly couple started talking to me in line, just making conversation.—
Zayd Ayers Dohrn,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Crews are asking boaters and visitors in the area to give dive teams and emergency vessels space to operate safely as the search continues.—
S.E. Jenkins,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
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The light, airy space on 53rd Street houses cooler-than-cool home decor items, tech accessories, tabletop design and furniture, jewelry, and accessories.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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An individual who claimed to be a Japan Self-Defense Forces officer scaled the wall and forced his way into the embassy compound on Tuesday morning, Lin Jian, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said in a news conference in Beijing.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 Mar. 2026
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At the same time, scaling renewables, nuclear, and emerging technologies will be essential in order to diversify the system and reduce exposure to geopolitical chokepoints.—
Derek Chollet,
semafor.com,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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John holds on to the yoke, looking straight ahead, as alarms and red lights blare on the control panel.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
27 Mar. 2026
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The super high-rise fit defines my waist, while a curved yoke and higher back pockets create a perkier look.—
Elizabeth Mitchell Kadar,
Glamour,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Span.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/span. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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