Synonyms of protract

protract

verb

prō-ˈtrakt 

as in to lengthen

to make longer

the highway project was protracted by years of litigation

Synonyms & Similar Words

• lengthen
• extend
• prolong
• increase
• stretch
• elongate
• draw out
• drag (out)
• expand
• enlarge
• outstretch
• amplify
• attenuate
• thin

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• shorten
• curtail
• cut
• reduce
• cut back
• diminish
• decrease
• lessen
• abridge
• abbreviate
• thicken

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb protract contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of protract are extend, lengthen, and prolong. While all these words mean "to draw out or add to so as to increase in length," protract adds to prolong implications of needlessness, vexation, or indefiniteness.

protracted litigation

How are the words extend and lengthen related as synonyms of protract?

Both extend and lengthen imply a drawing out in space or time but extend may also imply increase in width, scope, area, or range.

extend a vacation

extend welfare services

lengthen a skirt

lengthen the workweek

Where would prolong be a reasonable alternative to protract?

In some situations, the words prolong and protract are roughly equivalent. However, prolong suggests chiefly increase in duration especially beyond usual limits.

prolonged illness

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of protract

The parents who are left behind often face skepticism about the severity of these cases, which can sometimes take years of searching, the work of multiple law enforcement agencies and protracted legal battles to resolve. —N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2025

The more it is protracted the greater the risk of nuclear meltdowns at power plants or weapons usage (either through oceanic/terrestrial tests or in the war theater). —Saleem H. Ali, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2025

The deaths are at once spasmodically grisly—there will be bloody vomit—and agonizingly protracted. —Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2025

If the Hackman smile stayed fixed for more than a couple of seconds and his eyes lit up with joy, protracted cruelty might be incoming. —Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2025