PROTRACTING Synonyms: 25 Similar and Opposite Words

protracting

verb

present participle of protract

as in lengthening

to make longer the highway project was protracted by years of litigation

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for protracting

Verb

The Clinique High Impact Mascara is a volumizing and lengthening formula that separates the lashes for a dramatic, bold finish.

— Jessie Quinn, PEOPLE, 22 July 2026
The ultimate test for whether Dryad’s system or Seneca’s drones can nip fires in the bud will come if fire agencies deploy them during the lengthening wildfire season.

— Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 20 July 2026

Definition of lengthening

Verb

The Oakwood and Flowery Branch police departments will help make immigration arrests, extending the reach of federal immigration enforcement inside Hall County, one of Georgia’s largest immigrant enclaves.

— Lautaro Grinspan, AJC.com, 25 July 2026
Italian art critic and curator Cloe Piccoli has been selected as the new artistic director of Milan’s miart fair for a term extending from 2027–29.

— News Desk, Artforum, 24 July 2026

Definition of extending

Verb

The resulting backlash is almost predictable, sometimes reversing the decision and sometimes merely prolonging the painful end.

— Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 23 July 2026
The current tax system could further incentivize wealthy Americans to hold onto assets longer before passing them down, prolonging the Great Wealth Transfer to an extent, but maximizing gains for the next generation of heirs.

— Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 15 July 2026

Definition of prolonging

Verb

That could mean walking for two to five minutes every 30 to 60 minutes, taking calls while standing or pacing, using stairs, stretching, or doing a few bodyweight movements between meetings.

— Jakob Roze, Health, 23 July 2026
The metropolitan area was instead placed in parts of three districts, with Cohen’s reshaped district stretching a couple hundred miles eastward before reaching north toward the Nashville suburbs.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 July 2026

Definition of stretching

Verb

Too fearful of discrimination to go to hospitals for antiretroviral drugs, many transgender people have stopped taking them — significantly increasing their risk of transmission.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 July 2026
OpenAI disclosed the incident in a blog post on Tuesday, a stunning announcement that is certain to set off alarm bells across the industry about the increasing power of AI models and the risk of them going rogue.

— Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 22 July 2026

Definition of increasing

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protracted

protracting

protraction

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“Protracting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/protracting. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of protracting

verb

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