as in extension
the act of making longer
his habitual prolonging of any task so that it fills up an entire afternoon
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in lengthening
to make longer
would like to prolong our vacation by any means possible
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 prolonging
Paul Webster Hare,
The Conversation,
19 Jan. 2026
The prolonging of the war has also ratcheted up Israel’s isolation on the world stage.
—
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
Yasmin Vossoughian,
NBC news,
22 June 2026
Zelenskyy has said the war could end if Putin agrees to genuine peace talks, while accusing Moscow of prolonging the conflict and using negotiations as cover for continued attacks.
—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2026
There is potential for a drier, warmer summer across the Northwest, northern Plains, and the Upper Midwest, prolonging ongoing drought in some areas and increasing wildfire risk, according to AccuWeather.
—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
The idea here is to dissuade teams from prolonging their rebuilds.
—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
2 June 2026
The green beans provide shade, prolonging the spinach growing season by preventing bolting and excess sun exposure.
—
Wendy Rose Gould,
Martha Stewart,
27 May 2026
In other words, that men live longer and healthier lives if they are backed up by a spouse in doing so, while women don’t see the same support in prolonging their length and quality of life.
—
Katharina Buchholz,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Kabuga, somewhere in his 90s — his age is disputed — and suffering from severe dementia, had been forced to remain in the United Nations detention facility in The Hague after he was found unfit to stand trial in 2023 as no country was willing to take him in, prolonging the case against him.
—
ABC News,
20 May 2026
Regular Harvesting Frequent picking is essential for prolonging your cucumber harvest.
—
Shelby Vittek,
The Spruce,
13 May 2026
Noun
Looking ahead, Trump’s prolonging of Chavismo is a political gamble in Florida – a state where many Latin Republican voters despise the system and any dealing with socialist governments.
—
Paul Webster Hare,
The Conversation,
19 Jan. 2026
The prolonging of the war has also ratcheted up Israel’s isolation on the world stage.
—
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
And his resignation has paved the way for a seventh official to fill the post in a decade, prolonging the political turbulence that began with the Brexit vote in 2016.
—
Yasmin Vossoughian,
NBC news,
22 June 2026
Zelenskyy has said the war could end if Putin agrees to genuine peace talks, while accusing Moscow of prolonging the conflict and using negotiations as cover for continued attacks.
—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2026
There is potential for a drier, warmer summer across the Northwest, northern Plains, and the Upper Midwest, prolonging ongoing drought in some areas and increasing wildfire risk, according to AccuWeather.
—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
The idea here is to dissuade teams from prolonging their rebuilds.
—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
2 June 2026
The green beans provide shade, prolonging the spinach growing season by preventing bolting and excess sun exposure.
—
Wendy Rose Gould,
Martha Stewart,
27 May 2026
In other words, that men live longer and healthier lives if they are backed up by a spouse in doing so, while women don’t see the same support in prolonging their length and quality of life.
—
Katharina Buchholz,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
Kabuga, somewhere in his 90s — his age is disputed — and suffering from severe dementia, had been forced to remain in the United Nations detention facility in The Hague after he was found unfit to stand trial in 2023 as no country was willing to take him in, prolonging the case against him.
—
ABC News,
20 May 2026
Regular Harvesting Frequent picking is essential for prolonging your cucumber harvest.
—
Shelby Vittek,
The Spruce,
13 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prolonging
Noun
-
New Delhi is seen as a laggard in the global AI race and, by extension, in the physical AI space.
-
There is no reason this morning in Venezuela should not be a lavish extension of that.
Verb
-
These stretchy, flattering jeans come in a range of washes that are both leg-lengthening and easy to move around in.
-
The mother of the Princess of Wales paired her candy-pink look with lips in a bold cyclamen shade that lit up her smile, while her eyes were accentuated by a bold black line and lengthening mascara.
Noun
-
The prolongation was 242 days in 2023 and 346 days in 2024, according to the report.
Verb
-
The rock band, which consists of Rick Mitarotonda, Trevor Weekz, Peter Anspach and Cotter Ellis, released a statement shortly after the incident, extending their condolences to the victim’s family and loved ones.
-
And the financial burden is extending beyond the young workers clamoring for independence.
Noun
-
While gentle stretching is generally safe for most people after eating, vigorous exercise and/or movements that compress the abdomen can lead to discomfort.
-
Michelle is way ahead of me on the whole stretching and flexibility tip.
Verb
-
But the increasing tanker traffic is an encouraging step toward normalization of global oil flows.
-
Hulls said the fund allows property owners to support local businesses without dramatically increasing rents as market conditions change.
Cite this Entry
“Prolonging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prolonging. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
