life spans

plural of life span
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 life spans Laboratory studies have shown that rapamycin could extend the life spans of yeast and mice—but, in a recent randomized human trial, older adults on the medication didn’t seem to experience any physical gains. — Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 29 June 2026 Within that category, repair emerged as a particularly strong theme, reflecting a growing desire for extending product life spans over continually purchasing new items. — Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 11 June 2026 This embrace of coal is a short-term fix—extending the life spans of older coal-burning plants rather than spawning a wave of new ones. — Jordan Blum, Fortune, 19 May 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for life spans
Noun
  • Each implant can be programmed to recognize pulses with specific voltages and durations, allowing the network to selectively activate individual devices.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Instead of the aproximately one-hour mission durations of Starship's previous suborbital launches, Flight 14's orbital jaunt, if everything goes according to plan, is expected to last nearly 10 hours.
    — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 24 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The chips are power-hungry (a ChatGPT AI query consumes about ten times as much energy as a normal Google search) and also generate a lot of heat, which requires cooling systems.
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Raynor went 21 of 40 for 205 yards for Iowa State and Aiden Flora ran 13 times for 54 yards and caught five passes for 53.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Over time, a ban could cut refinery runs and tighten supplies of other fuels including gasoline.
    — Frank Witsil, Freep.com, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The Practical Economics of Alternative Mobility Taking a car on short local runs – whether running quick errands, commuting across town, or heading to a local transit station – comes with hidden overheads.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 22 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Making people’s lives better does not mean having a symbolic vote on something that goes to the Senate and dies — that’s what the Republicans have done for two years.
    — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 24 Sep. 2026
  • The Taliban’s return to power was swift, though preventing it had ostensibly been the entire point of the decades-long occupation, the bombs, the hundreds of thousands of lives lost.
    — Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 24 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • However, the initial framework does not establish that sodium-ion cells can replace lithium-ion batteries across every application or throughout their operating lifetimes.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 20 Sep. 2026
  • For the study authors, its primary contribution lies in establishing that the damage occurs, so clinicians can monitor these patients more closely during their lifetimes, said Rouhani, and identify issues at an earlier stage.
    — Annalisa Merelli, STAT, 10 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Life spans.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/life%20spans. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

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