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
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
Meanwhile, marine life spans from the ocean sunfish to the dusky dolphin—but thankfully, South Africa’s iconic great white sharks are nowhere to be found.
—Jared Ranahan, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
To extend their life spans, keep them in a storage case when not needed.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 11 Aug. 2025
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
Meanwhile, marine life spans from the ocean sunfish to the dusky dolphin—but thankfully, South Africa’s iconic great white sharks are nowhere to be found.
—Jared Ranahan, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
To extend their life spans, keep them in a storage case when not needed.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 11 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for life spans
Noun
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Hours of uniform length were widely adopted only in the 14th century, when clocks could maintain equal durations.—
Shayla Love,
The Atlantic,
21 Dec. 2025
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Follow-up durations averaged around one year, meaning that longer-term outcomes remain uncertain.—
Emily Kay Votruba,
EverydayHealth.com,
11 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Kentucky entered Thursday night averaging nine turnovers per game but turned it over 10 times in the first half alone, and 20 for the game.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Jan. 2026
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Employees told responding sheriff's deputies that Naputi had previously stolen from the store seven other times since January 2024.—
Carlos E. Castañeda,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Hatch and Dean Mika each made crucial 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to end San Clemente’s runs.—
Michael Huntley,
Oc Register,
22 Jan. 2026
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That capacity, paired with a reputation for speed and precision, is why Chief Sales Officer Blake Burroughs says major companies like Fanatics and Nike tap Topshelf during high‑stakes playoff runs.—
Kelly Werthmann,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Episode 3 ended with Ron, Eric Nam, Kristen Kish, and Caroline Stanbury all tied to trees and hilariously pleading for their lives while the Traitors and a masked executioner all just kind of stood there awkwardly.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Jan. 2026
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What happened next was the drive of Beck’s and the Hurricanes’ lives.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Seibert left a long legacy with enough experiences for a few lifetimes, based on all the stories told Tuesday by speakers who included his niece, Doreen Below, and San Jose Fire Chief Robert Sapien.—
Sal Pizarro,
Mercury News,
6 Jan. 2026
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And that’s what makes this one of the most meaningful fresh starts of our lifetimes.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
30 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Life spans.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/life%20spans. Accessed 23 Jan. 2026.
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