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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 By Tuesday night, the threat will extend eastward into Virginia and the western Carolinas. Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 May 2025 The resulting power outage extended for multiple blocks, police said. Mark Price, Miami Herald, 19 May 2025 Congress has a long history of ultimately extending temporary tax cuts beyond their expiration dates. Nik Popli, Time, 19 May 2025 President Trump, Vice President Vance React to First American Pope Announcement World leaders across continents extended messages of hope, unity and spiritual solidarity Thursday after Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected Pope Leo XIV. Gabe Whisnant, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for extend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extend
Verb
  • Improves Flexibility and Balance Traditional stretches typically involve moving or holding certain body parts in place to lengthen muscle fibers, which is a way to warm up the body.
    Cristina Mutchler, Verywell Health, 8 May 2025
  • Brown mascara is gaining traction for its ability to awaken the eyes and lengthen lashes subtly, without the harshness of a traditional black.
    Kiana Murden, Vogue, 1 May 2025
Verb
  • The episode offered clarity on what happened between the two leads after Ellie (Bella Ramsey) learned what Joel did last season.
    Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 25 May 2025
  • The moral dilemma faced by Osama, as Abou Sami offers him freedom in exchange for a cut, feels suddenly interrupted by each injection of the wider world, instead of the two being interwoven.
    Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 24 May 2025
Verb
  • This year, that influence expanded into the cultural mainstream with her debut on Season 7 of The Real Housewives of Miami.
    Nia Bowers, USA Today, 16 May 2025
  • On a year-on-year basis, however, Japan's GDP expanded 1.7%, the largest expansion since the first quarter of 2023 and a stronger showing compared to the 1.3% growth seen in the fourth quarter.
    Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 16 May 2025
Verb
  • However, access is a steep and crumbling concrete staircase leading down to the river and boat tours.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 17 May 2025
  • Donald Trump does not need to lead and govern this way.
    ABC News, ABC News, 4 May 2025
Verb
  • Autism rates increased, again: But RFK Jr. diverges from CDC report about the reason.
    Adrianna Rodriguez, USA Today, 15 May 2025
  • Despite several decades of donor declines in the U.S., the overall trend in dollars donated has increased.
    Josh Birkholz, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
Verb
  • Pureeing the fresh strawberries gives the lemonade body, but also ensures the strawberry flavor isn’t diluted.
    Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 15 May 2025
  • This urine can simply be scattered around the ground, diluted into a fertilizer or disposed of in a toilet back home, depending on the situation.
    New Atlas, New Atlas, 15 May 2025
Verb
  • The leader's office added that an unconditional ceasefire means that no conditions are attached, and any attempt to impose conditions indicates an intention to prolong the war and undermine diplomacy.
    Isabel van Brugen, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025
  • Their major failures included prolonging the Vietnam War and coddling bloodthirsty Latin American dictators.
    Frank McNeil, Sun Sentinel, 11 May 2025
Verb
  • What’s the Takeaway for People With Heart Failure? Experiencing issues with planning and thinking can be especially problematic for people with heart failure, given the complex self-care required to manage the condition.
    Kaitlin Sullivan, Health, 16 May 2025
  • The village gave the stores a few weeks to remove the product from their shelves, and the village has not had an issue with compliance in the past year, Wold said.
    Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 15 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Extend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extend. Accessed 27 May. 2025.

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