1
as in limits
a real or imaginary point beyond which a person or thing cannot go
the coach exceeded the extent of his authority by exempting some of the players from the requirement
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in expanses
a wide space or area
the seemingly endless extent of the windswept prairies
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in scopes
an area over which activity, capacity, or influence extends
the extent of this criminal investigation has widened considerably since it began
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in dimensions
the total amount of measurable space or surface occupied by something
looking at the extent of the stain on my shirt, you might think that I had spilled a gallon of coffee
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 extents
Meanwhile, cannabis has been legalized to varying extents in many states.
—
Lucy Xiaolu Wang, The Conversation, 13 Apr. 2026
Because of this individual variability, losing excess body weight can affect blood pressure to different extents in different people.
—Karen Berger, Verywell Health, 25 Feb. 2026
Other agencies impacted to varying extents include the Coast Guard and Secret Service.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 13 Feb. 2026
Additional states including Florida, Kansas, Indiana, Maryland, Utah, Illinois, and New York, have considered (to differing extents) the idea of updating their maps, Reuters reported.
—Ramon Padilla, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025
The characters are all based, to different extents, on real people.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2025
To differing extents, all of these shows are love letters to forms pundits spy on the chopping block—the late night show, the local rag, and the good old fashioned art-house film.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 23 Sep. 2025
Lucy Xiaolu Wang, The Conversation, 13 Apr. 2026
Because of this individual variability, losing excess body weight can affect blood pressure to different extents in different people.
—Karen Berger, Verywell Health, 25 Feb. 2026
Other agencies impacted to varying extents include the Coast Guard and Secret Service.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 13 Feb. 2026
Additional states including Florida, Kansas, Indiana, Maryland, Utah, Illinois, and New York, have considered (to differing extents) the idea of updating their maps, Reuters reported.
—Ramon Padilla, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025
The characters are all based, to different extents, on real people.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2025
To differing extents, all of these shows are love letters to forms pundits spy on the chopping block—the late night show, the local rag, and the good old fashioned art-house film.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 23 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extents
Noun
-
Hazelton says that ChatGPT can be helpful in the salon, but clients should be aware of its limits.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Because there are no limits on call time, the transition from customer service to therapy was often imperceptible.—
Julian Lucas,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
And our national parks were still wild expanses barely fit for mules.—
Jacqueline Kehoe,
Travel + Leisure,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Glass expanses and sliding walls dissolve boundaries, while Turner’s mix of tactile natural materials and warm neutrals echoes the setting without resorting to Caribbean cliché.—
Andrew Sessa,
Robb Report,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Men in khaki stood with scopes on rooftops nearby, and questions among newer protesters circulated.—
Mark Dee,
Idaho Statesman,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Jonathan Cook testified that police also found 100 other firearms, scopes and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.—
Laura Bauer,
Kansas City Star,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
At the Sloan Mathematics Center at Stanford, Chodosh specializes in Riemannian geometry exploring the structural properties of spaces that often exist in higher dimensions.—
Chase Hunter,
Mercury News,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Banerjee, who was born in 1963, offered an effusive epilogue to the modernist exhibit, exploring dimensions, textures and scale that many of her artistic forebears could only dream of.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
OpenAI's most basic ChatGPT offering is free, but comes with limitations.—
Megan Cerullo,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Councilmembers have voiced worries about the limitations of free speech, especially on college campuses.—
Josephine Stratman,
New York Daily News,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But Apple’s more recent expansions into areas like virtual reality and artificial intelligence haven’t been as successful.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
20 Apr. 2026
-
If passed, the bill could let some beach cities and counties, not the Coastal Commission, oversee development of certain housing projects, as well as efforts to create new or improved bike lanes, outdoor dining expansions and temporary street uses connected to big events, such as the 2028 Olympics.—
Andre Mouchard,
Oc Register,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Mortal Kombat 2 will focus on the Mortal Kombat tournament, the big battle in which warriors from different realms face off against one another in a fight to the bloody finish.—
Christopher Rudolph,
PEOPLE,
11 Apr. 2026
-
For Aristotle, relationships are a portal into the realms of the vast and mysterious universe.—
Ross Channing Reed,
The Conversation,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
At one point during the nearly three-hour discussion, Trustee Adam Sidoti inquired if the ordinance before the Village Board could be amended to put restrictions on certain truck sizes and weights in order prevent large, heavy vehicles from using Sanders Road to access the property.—
Jennifer Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
20 Apr. 2026
-
To make your yard appealing to a wide variety of bees, install several bee houses with nesting holes of varying sizes.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Extents.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extents. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
