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 process of curing diseases can be protracted, and not all research endeavors yield successful outcomes. —Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 18 June 2025

Finnegans Wake, in his skillful hands, is a tapestry of all the works Joyce ever wrote, the final and protracted project of a writer who could never stop thinking about Ireland. —Eric Bulson, The Atlantic, 16 June 2025

Second, the party seeking to recover fees must not have unreasonably protracted the litigation. —Guinevere Moore, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025

The government, with limited powers, now has to lead the country for months before new elections and during what could — again — be protracted talks to cobble together a new coalition in the fragmented Dutch political landscape after the vote. —Mike Corder, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 2025