protracting

verb

present participle of protract
as in lengthening
to make longer the highway project was protracted by years of litigation

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for protracting
  1. lengthening
  2. extending
  3. prolonging
  4. stretching
  5. increasing
Verb
  • Both could go a long way in lengthening the Yankees’ postseason lineup; the righty-swinging Lombard, in particular, provides some needed balance.
    — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026
  • These movements take joints through active ranges of motion, lengthening and engaging muscles to support and control movement.
    — Dana Santas, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of lengthening
Verb
  • The Abercrombie Kids’ Baby & Toddler Collection adds newborn through 5T sizing after shoppers asked for smaller sizes, extending the brand into another stage of its customers’ lives.
    — Ashley Lynch, Kansas City Star, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The chain’s restaurants were leased back to it under a 25-year master lease, which included 2% annual escalators, extending until the early 2040s, according to the initial deal terms.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of extending
Verb
  • Milk contains protein and carbohydrates, which slow digestion, prolonging the presence of water in the body.
    — Veronica Cristino, Vogue, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also said foreign powers are central to prolonging the war.
    — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of prolonging
Verb
  • The nor'easter brought severe wind and heavy rain across the Northeast Saturday and Sunday, with the storms stretching from Maine down to New York.
    — Megan Fahrney, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026
  • The fuel price hike prompted a series of protests stretching from Idlib – the interim government’s base – to Aleppo and Damascus.
    — Taylor Luck, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of stretching
Verb
  • The hope is that these discoveries will not be lost with increasing use of AI models in mathematics.
    — Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The rules are aimed at boosting confidence in Saudi ⁠capital markets by increasing transparency and strengthening the IPO framework, the CMA said.
    — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of increasing
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.

Browse Nearby Words

protracted
protracting
protraction
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Cite this Entry

“Protracting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/protracting. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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