as in durations
the period during which something exists, lasts, or is in progress
the lifetime of the camera's batteries was so short we couldn't get through a day trip without having to replace them
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Recent Examples of lifetimes
Given these pressures, many families increasingly wonder whether a bachelor’s degree — which historically enabled graduates to earn $2 million more over their lifetimes than workers with only high school diplomas — is still a good investment.
—
Jerry Balentine, Fortune, 26 Mar. 2026
These emitters showed stable optical performance, including nanosecond lifetimes and minimal signal fluctuation.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 20 Mar. 2026
Note that 25% of owners expect to see a return to the all-time low rates of 2020-21 in their lifetimes.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 11 Mar. 2026
More than half of all Americans have either been or will be included in a blended family during their lifetimes, with 1,300 new stepfamilies forming every day, according to nonprofit The Stepfamily Foundation.
—Medora Lee, USA Today, 8 Mar. 2026
Our context windows are our lifetimes; our tokens are uncountable.
—Charles Yu, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2026
Hamnet has already surpassed the total lifetimes of Manchester by the Sea and Past Lives.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 1 Mar. 2026
The idea that some of the greatest artists of all time were treated poorly or forgotten during their lifetimes?
—Chris Willman, Variety, 27 Feb. 2026
No food, no fuel, no tourists Cuba is facing the deepest economic uncertainty its residents have seen in decades — or perhaps in their lifetimes.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 18 Feb. 2026
Jerry Balentine, Fortune, 26 Mar. 2026
These emitters showed stable optical performance, including nanosecond lifetimes and minimal signal fluctuation.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 20 Mar. 2026
Note that 25% of owners expect to see a return to the all-time low rates of 2020-21 in their lifetimes.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 11 Mar. 2026
More than half of all Americans have either been or will be included in a blended family during their lifetimes, with 1,300 new stepfamilies forming every day, according to nonprofit The Stepfamily Foundation.
—Medora Lee, USA Today, 8 Mar. 2026
Our context windows are our lifetimes; our tokens are uncountable.
—Charles Yu, The Atlantic, 5 Mar. 2026
Hamnet has already surpassed the total lifetimes of Manchester by the Sea and Past Lives.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 1 Mar. 2026
The idea that some of the greatest artists of all time were treated poorly or forgotten during their lifetimes?
—Chris Willman, Variety, 27 Feb. 2026
No food, no fuel, no tourists Cuba is facing the deepest economic uncertainty its residents have seen in decades — or perhaps in their lifetimes.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 18 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lifetimes
Noun
-
The mirrorless camera was used to snap bracketed exposures — where the same scene is imaged with a variety of exposure durations — while the smart telescope was tasked with capturing RAW footage of the eclipse.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
25 Mar. 2026
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Meanwhile, the system was tested across charging sessions of varying durations and with different buffer storage sizes.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The other three times were 1994 (Steffi Graf, Pete Sampras), 2005 (Kim Clijsters, Federer), and 2016 (Victoria Azarenka, Djokovic).—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
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Doulas support moms through trying times On a recent afternoon, Mary Bey settled into a chair in a homey room at the Memphis doula center, cradling her sleeping infant, Ca’Mya.—
Laura Ungar,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lifetimes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lifetimes. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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