as in durations
the period during which something exists, lasts, or is in progress
I saw no need to pay more for a better-built computer that would just grow obsolete before the end of its life span
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Recent Examples of life spans
The concept of Mother Earth or Mother Nature as the center of the universe and source of all life spans Indigenous cultures around the globe.
—
Melinda Laituri, The Conversation, 4 Feb. 2026
Steeped in the civil rights movement Norton was born and raised in Washington, and her life spans the arc of the district’s trials and triumphs.
—Matt Brown, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Move your body more Adding just a few minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day can help contribute to longer life spans, particularly for people with sedentary lifestyles.
—Hunter Boyce, AJC.com, 21 Jan. 2026
From Kuwait to a small Italian university town, and then to New York and Arizona, his life spans love and loss, grief and success.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
Thirty-year life spans, the long-standing benchmark for major sports venues, became twenty-five or twenty.
—John Seabrook, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
And, as stated above, cancers are usually a disease of the old, further reducing the likelihood of seeing them in a natural population where life spans tend to be relatively short.
—New Atlas, 27 Nov. 2025
Such issues mattered less when life spans were shorter, Bauer explained.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Oct. 2025
Rising living costs, inflation eroding purchasing power, and longer life spans have all made stepping away from the workforce more difficult than ever.
—Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
Melinda Laituri, The Conversation, 4 Feb. 2026
Steeped in the civil rights movement Norton was born and raised in Washington, and her life spans the arc of the district’s trials and triumphs.
—Matt Brown, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Move your body more Adding just a few minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day can help contribute to longer life spans, particularly for people with sedentary lifestyles.
—Hunter Boyce, AJC.com, 21 Jan. 2026
From Kuwait to a small Italian university town, and then to New York and Arizona, his life spans love and loss, grief and success.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
Thirty-year life spans, the long-standing benchmark for major sports venues, became twenty-five or twenty.
—John Seabrook, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
And, as stated above, cancers are usually a disease of the old, further reducing the likelihood of seeing them in a natural population where life spans tend to be relatively short.
—New Atlas, 27 Nov. 2025
Such issues mattered less when life spans were shorter, Bauer explained.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Oct. 2025
Rising living costs, inflation eroding purchasing power, and longer life spans have all made stepping away from the workforce more difficult than ever.
—Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for life spans
Noun
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Traditional RTGs require large quantities of radioactive material to sustain output over long durations.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Feb. 2026
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Average leave durations parental bonding were for nine weeks, medical leaves for six and a half weeks and care for relatives six weeks.—
Alex Derosier,
Twin Cities,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Casado also seemed to enjoy himself, reminding fans of his breakout performances last year at times, but De Jong remains first-choice in that midfield role.—
Laia Cervelló Herrero,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Maye was sacked a total of six times for 43 yards.—
Chuck Schilken,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The minus-14 defensive runs saved, according to FanGraphs, that were the second worst among 31 catchers with at least 600 innings caught.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Only the best of two runs counted at the end.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The share of Americans who report being satisfied with their current lives is also the second-lowest in the survey’s history — higher only than the percentage recorded in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
10 Feb. 2026
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If Grosz’s first book, The Examined Life, was all about his patients’ personal lives and struggles, Love’s Labor—which is written in a similar way, as a series of case studies—is much more interested in his patients’ approach to love, specifically.—
Daisy Jones,
Vogue,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But many people will also experience short-term fatigue over their lifetimes—for physical, mental, or psychological reasons.—
Katharine Gammon,
Time,
6 Feb. 2026
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The alpine pastureland is home to herds of goats and cows and small families of shepherds who have worked the land for lifetimes.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Life spans.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/life%20spans. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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