as in measuring
to find out the size, extent, or amount of
tried to span the distance between the two trees by eye alone
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spanning
Imanaga hadn’t issued two walks in an inning in more than a year, spanning 154 innings to April 15, 2025, against the Padres.
—
Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026
Family photos spanning several generations, old pharmaceutical equipment, advertisements and promotional materials from years of business, and a framed Martha Stewart magazine feature are some of the items in the Woodsboro office that indicate the long legacy and evolution of the company.
—Gabriella Fine, Baltimore Sun, 26 Apr. 2026
The back-to-back resignations and investigations, spanning both parties and both the legislative and executive branches, have reignited a debate about whether Washington’s rules and institutions for self-oversight can keep pace with the misconduct unfolding within it.
—Ana Ceballos
follow, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2026
In the writing process, Lowery mapped out an entire fictional discography for Mother Mary spanning nearly 15 years, with tours accompanying each release.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2026
The pair are developing a slate of projects spanning co-productions between Australia and Indonesia, Myanmar, South Korea, Nepal, France and Germany.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 26 Apr. 2026
In response, the Soviet government established a vast exclusion zone, spanning 19 miles around the plant.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 26 Apr. 2026
San Luis Obispo County allows two sales per year, each spanning up to two consecutive weekends.
—Sacbee.com, 26 Apr. 2026
Then with Christos Mantoulidis and Felix Schulze, Chodosh resolved a key problem in the geometric analysis of minimal surfaces, such as a soap film spanning a wire loop.
—Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 19 Apr. 2026
Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026
Family photos spanning several generations, old pharmaceutical equipment, advertisements and promotional materials from years of business, and a framed Martha Stewart magazine feature are some of the items in the Woodsboro office that indicate the long legacy and evolution of the company.
—Gabriella Fine, Baltimore Sun, 26 Apr. 2026
The back-to-back resignations and investigations, spanning both parties and both the legislative and executive branches, have reignited a debate about whether Washington’s rules and institutions for self-oversight can keep pace with the misconduct unfolding within it.
—Ana Ceballos
follow, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2026
In the writing process, Lowery mapped out an entire fictional discography for Mother Mary spanning nearly 15 years, with tours accompanying each release.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2026
The pair are developing a slate of projects spanning co-productions between Australia and Indonesia, Myanmar, South Korea, Nepal, France and Germany.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 26 Apr. 2026
In response, the Soviet government established a vast exclusion zone, spanning 19 miles around the plant.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 26 Apr. 2026
San Luis Obispo County allows two sales per year, each spanning up to two consecutive weekends.
—Sacbee.com, 26 Apr. 2026
Then with Christos Mantoulidis and Felix Schulze, Chodosh resolved a key problem in the geometric analysis of minimal surfaces, such as a soap film spanning a wire loop.
—Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 19 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spanning
Verb
-
These microscopic particles are about 30 times smaller than a human hair, measuring just 2 micrometers wide.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Gatorland has taken in its first rescue alligator of the year, an animal measuring 11 feet, 3 inches and found near the south end of Orlando’s International Drive.—
Dewayne Bevil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Your nose is also a great tool for gauging ripeness.—
Sarah Martens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 Apr. 2026
-
For fans, that means the eye-gauging 12-personnel days are over.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spanning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spanning. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
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