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

Longini explained that climate change is increasing mosquito populations and lengthening their active seasons, contributing to dengue’s spread globally.

— Alex DeLuca, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
In both countries, falling fertility rates and lengthening lifespans keep worsening the fiscal picture.

— NIALL FERGUSON, Foreign Affairs, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of lengthening

Verb

Shares of CoreWeave plunged 10% on Thursday, extending their monthly decline to 36%, while Australia's NextDC tumbled nearly 40% on Wednesday after cutting its earnings forecast.

— Jenny Lee, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
The approval of daraxonrasib, a new life-extending drug for pancreatic cancer, is the biggest advance in decades against a notoriously hard-to-treat disease.

— STAT Staff, STAT, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of extending

Verb

Trump has accused the Ukrainian president of not wanting peace, while Zelenskyy has argued that Washington's easing of sanctions on Russia, including a deal on diesel, risks prolonging the conflict.

— Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2026
Many of his domestic critics have faulted him for prolonging the war in Gaza to appease his far-right allies, and for permitting ultra-Orthodox Jews to forgo military service to appease that sizable religious voter bloc.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of prolonging

Verb

Enter the extrait de parfum, a fragrance with concentration beginning at around 20 percent and stretching as high as 60 percent in some cases, versus typically 15 to 20 percent for an eau de parfum.

— Kathryn Hopkins, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2026
The Fantasy Bra has a long history, stretching back 30 years.

— Max Berlinger, Vogue, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of stretching

Verb

Beyond domestic challenges, CATL is also scrambling to build more plants in Europe to avoid running afoul of increasing EU protectionism.

— Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 21 Oct. 2026
While the disease remains more common among women over 50, diagnoses among younger women are increasing, prompting cancer specialists to encourage earlier conversations about individual risk.

— Melissa May, CBS News, 21 Oct. 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 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of protracting

verb

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