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
But after these funds dried up, schools have struggled to replace broken or outdated devices, which last on average less than a decade despite Google’s efforts to extend device life spans.
—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2026
Her life spans a century of dedication to and passion for all things creative in a lifetime of benefit to and for all.
—Jerry Shnay, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
What are the life spans of data centers?
—Claudia Levens, jsonline.com, 6 Mar. 2026
In many-minded terms, an octopus’s natural life spans so many lives that the one-minded might call it unnatural or even schizophrenic.
—Mandy-Suzanne Wong, Longreads, 5 Feb. 2026
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
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2026
Her life spans a century of dedication to and passion for all things creative in a lifetime of benefit to and for all.
—Jerry Shnay, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
What are the life spans of data centers?
—Claudia Levens, jsonline.com, 6 Mar. 2026
In many-minded terms, an octopus’s natural life spans so many lives that the one-minded might call it unnatural or even schizophrenic.
—Mandy-Suzanne Wong, Longreads, 5 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for life spans
Noun
-
These particles were then fed into the trap and held for durations ranging from milliseconds to several seconds before being released and detected.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Many are being proposed for longer durations, sometimes 30 or even 40 years.—
Christine Peterson,
Outdoor Life,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
At times, Bartek doubts his own decision to go into farming.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Both played a key role in bringing the two sides together, were present at varying times throughout the 21-hours of inconclusive talks and have been working intensely to move the process forward.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Over his last three starts, Imanaga has given up just two runs, six hits and two walks with 24 strikeouts in 17 innings.—
Meghan Montemurro,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Third quarter of runs The Magic actually scored the first five points of the second half to take a one-point lead less than a minute into the third quarter.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Those lives were sacrificed on the altar of national honor.—
Louis Menand,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Instead of asking students to define terms or summarize a concept when Wikipedia is sitting right there, the advice was to give them higher-level tasks—to evaluate different solutions to a problem or reflect on how that concept has come up in their own lives.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Mastectomies are lifesaving surgeries that remove a patient’s breasts to treat breast cancer, which affects 1 in 8 American women over their lifetimes, according to the American Cancer Society.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
11 Apr. 2026
-
According to the American Cancer Society, about one in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during their lifetimes.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Life spans.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/life%20spans. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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