PROTRACTS Synonyms: 25 Similar and Opposite Words

protracts

verb

present tense third-person singular of protract

as in lengthens

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for protracts

Verb

Farther still, as the road straightens and lengthens, the view is of open space.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Sep. 2026
The sideways lean becomes a forward one, the gap between his legs increases, and his feet begin landing beneath or slightly behind his centre of mass as his stride lengthens.

— Amelie Claydon, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of lengthens

Verb

Their devotion to knotty specifics of academia extends to casting a real-life academic — Anne-Laure Sellier, currently a professor of behavioral sciences at HEC Paris business school — in the lead.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
Although the Eagles came up short on the scoreboard, head coach Irwin Garcia said the program’s focus extends beyond wins and losses.

— Raul Avila, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of extends

Verb

Although the first topological ideas only emerged in the 18th century, the history of the Platonic solids stretches back much further.

— Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 8 Sep. 2026
As Sean McVay enters his 10th season, his coaching tree stretches across the NFL, with former Rams assistants now leading the Packers, Bengals, Vikings, Jaguars and Cardinals as head coaches.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of stretches

Verb

Banks are happy to oblige, issuing loans and credit with high interest rates to low-income individuals with questionable credit ratings, which increases the likelihood of loan defaults and bankruptcies.

— Eric Khant, Sun Sentinel, 8 Sep. 2026
Goldman said that its best-case scenario places Brent in the $60-per-barrel range in 2027, but only if oil production in the Persian Gulf increases by 1 million barrels a day above its pre-war levels.

— Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of increases

Verb

Harvesting jalapeños regularly makes your plants more productive and prolongs the growing season.

— Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Aug. 2026
Whey proteins from Greek yogurt digest relatively quickly, while casein in cottage cheese forms a gastric gel that slows digestion and prolongs nutrient absorption.

— Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 23 July 2026

Definition of prolongs

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

protraction

protracts

protrude

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Protracts.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/protracts. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of protracts

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

empirical

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes