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as in to expand
to arrange the parts of (something) over a wider area you can extend that chaise longue so that it lies completely flat

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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as in to lead
to be positioned along a certain course or in a certain direction our backyard extends all the way to that brook

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb extend contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of extend are lengthen, prolong, and protract. While all these words 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

When would prolong be a good substitute for extend?

The words prolong and extend can be used in similar contexts, but prolong suggests chiefly increase in duration especially beyond usual limits.

prolonged illness

How do protract and prolong relate to one another, in the sense of extend?

Protract adds to prolong implications of needlessness, vexation, or indefiniteness.

protracted litigation

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 extend Hit the ignition button and the blade doesn't just flick on; the light extends like a real lightsaber would. Chris McMullen, Space.com, 8 Oct. 2025 Seemingly among them are Kardashian and Paulson’s characters, whose drama appears to be extending beyond the courtroom and into their own ranks when Paulson takes on Kardashian’s husband as her client. Katie Campione, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2025 Rahm partnered with Tyrrell Hatton to win both Friday foursomes matches and their opening Saturday match, extending his career Ryder Cup foursomes record to a perfect 6-0-0. Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Oct. 2025 The mascara comes with a flexible brush that bends to extend your lashes, and it’s formulated with bamboo extract and other ingredients that volumize and hydrate your lashes. Nicol Natale, PEOPLE, 8 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for extend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extend
Verb
  • Here’s a handsome Japanese cutting board that’s designed to minimize stress on your hand and lengthen the life of your chef’s knives.
    Kristi Kellogg, Architectural Digest, 7 Oct. 2025
  • The decorative buttons on the cuff add a polished touch, while the back slit on the pencil silhouette creates a flattering, leg-lengthening effect.
    Melanie Fincher, Southern Living, 7 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The administration has offered signing bonuses, student loan forgiveness and large salaries to those willing to join ICE.
    Juan Cordoba, Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2025
  • Check out our latest digital and print subscription offers here.
    Nashville Tennessean, Nashville Tennessean, 5 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The nursery did well, so Kids Planet began to expand.
    Rebecca Ann Hughes, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2025
  • The team plans to expand the research to evaluate inhaler emissions in specific patient groups, such as Medicaid recipients, and to compare clinical outcomes of low- and high-emission inhalers in the same therapeutic class.
    Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • As digitization and agentic AI reshape work from customer service to customs, DHL is also upskilling people for digital roles and training supervisors to lead the transition.
    Samuel Burke, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2025
  • Advertisement An investigation led by the Guardian found in September that out of the 6,000 Palestinians from Gaza held by Israel since the Hamas terror attack two years ago, only one quarter were held on suspicion of militant links.
    Callum Sutherland, Time, 9 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • That, alongside Newcastle’s desire to spread the fee over multiple years (whereas Como were going to pay in one lump sum), led to Milan increasing their asking price.
    Chris Waugh, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
  • Milwaukee is not alone in seeking to implement or increase a wheel tax to raise local revenue.
    Vanessa Swales, jsonline.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The 2024 European Parliament elections strengthened far-right blocs and pushed the centre-right toward diluting elements of the Green Deal, reframing climate rules as sovereignty or competitiveness threats and amplifying cost-of-living and farmer-protest narratives.
    Felicia Jackson, Forbes.com, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Bitcoin treasury craze cools Companies that diluted their stock by selling shares specifically to fund Bitcoin purchases have seen their values tumble by 20% to 50%, according to the WSJ.
    Diane Brady, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • DiCaprio extended his deepest condolences to Goodall’s family and urged others to support the Jane Goodall Institute and other conservation groups to prolong her legacy.
    Chad de Guzman, Time, 2 Oct. 2025
  • If a shutdown is prolonged, SNAP funding could run out, potentially causing a delay or pause in benefits.
    Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • At AbbVie, 92% of employees give extra effort at work compared to just 59% of employees at a typical European workplace.
    Jessica Coacci, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2025
  • Processing extras’ job bookings has helped give Everyset a window in to where work is now, as Hollywood grapples with major studios cutting the number of annual big theatrical bets and shortening TV episode orders from the Peak TV days of just a few years ago.
    Erik Hayden, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Extend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extend. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.

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