EXTENSIVE Synonyms: 28 Similar and Opposite Words

extensive

adjective

ik-ˈsten(t)-siv

Definition of extensive

as in broad

having considerable extent a rock hound whose extensive reading enables him to identify just about any rock or mineral

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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 extensive No military personnel were killed in the attacks, but images that circulated on social media earlier this year — which sources say are authentic — show extensive damage to the base. — Eleanor Watson, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026 The same company will find itself with two studios, two large-scale news operations and two general entertainment streaming services, among other assets, and an extensive org chart to overhaul. — Dade Hayes, Deadline, 21 Sep. 2026 In 2024, an IRS crackdown on extensive fraud involving obscure tax credits triggered a round of notices for taxpayers that required the taxpayer to verify their identity. — Susan Tompor, Freep.com, 21 Sep. 2026 But in a lawsuit filed earlier last March, Guede’s company claims progress stalled when the city’s new environmental cleanup contractor reported the previous contractor had left extensive contamination untouched. — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 20 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for extensive

Recent Examples of Synonyms for extensive

Adjective

But advocates for broader vaccine restrictions have promised to renew their push in future legislative sessions.

— Sally C. Pipes, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
Few investors have broad appeal like Buffett At the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of business, trips for students to Berkshire’s annual meetings were always a hot ticket.

— Josh Funk, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of broad

Adjective

Available in both standard and wide sizes, this sneaker is designed with shock absorption to keep you feeling light on your feet.

— Cheryl Wagemann, InStyle, 25 Sep. 2026
In amphibians, chytridiomycosis causes a wide variety of symptoms including skin damage, red skin, convulsions, and eventually leads to heart failure.

— Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of wide

Adjective

Atmosphere is a sweeping romance between two pioneering female astronauts breaking into NASA in the early days of the shuttle program in the late ’70s and early ’80s.

— Mia Galuppo, HollywoodReporter, 24 Sep. 2026
In the sweeping farmlands near the Central Coast, a seed supplier that cultivates peppers, vegetables and fruit was hit with more than two dozen pesticide safety violations, some of them serious offenses that caused health or environmental hazards.

— Robert J. Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of sweeping

Adjective

Earlier this year, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) concluded negotiations on the Digital Economy Framework Agreement, or DEFA—the world’s first comprehensive, region-wide agreement dedicated to the digital economy.

— Jon M. Huntsman, Fortune, 24 Sep. 2026
Among its provisions, the bill requires EPA to develop a comprehensive National Textile Circularity Strategy, as well as conduct a needs assessment to identify the actions, investments, and policy priorities that such strategy will require.

— Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of comprehensive

Adjective

Like other Vionic shoes, these have a deep heel cup to stabilize the foot and ankle.

— Cheryl Wagemann, InStyle, 25 Sep. 2026
Such abandonment wounds are deep and destabilizing; the younger the child, the deeper the wound and the harder to form a sense of self and of value as an adult.

— Eric Thomas, Sun Sentinel, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of deep

Adjective

Venus in your expansive 9th house connects awkwardly with Uranus in your domestic zone, making travel, learning, or a fresh interest feel exciting and slightly disruptive.

— Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 20 Sep. 2026
More expansive early voting is scheduled to begin in those and other states in the coming weeks.

— ALI SWENSON, Arkansas Online, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of expansive

Adjective

On the 377-foot Ahpo, Venetian designer Nuvolari Lenard went a step further, conceiving the Lürssen around wellness for extended cruising.

— Chrissie McClatchie, Robb Report, 19 Sep. 2026
But Deetz said pilots are pushed to be out in the air first, get to the scene, and remain on scene for extended periods of time.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of extended

Adjective

The widespread response to the disaster is illustrative of the relationship between Nepal’s public and private sectors in this time of transition.

— Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 20 Sep. 2026
Reporting by the Gulf States Newsroom has revealed the widespread use of nondisclosure agreements under Landry around industrial development projects in Louisiana.

— Drew Hawkins, NPR, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of widespread

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extensions

extensive

extensively

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“Extensive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extensive. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of extensive

adjective

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