as in measuring
to find out the size, extent, or amount of
tried to span the distance between the two trees by eye alone
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spanning
The Oasi Zegna is a territory spanning more than 62 miles and its colors and mood are also a source of inspiration for artistic director Alessandro Sartori, who has been developing the sustainable Oasi Cashmere and staged some shows there.
—
Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 8 Jan. 2026
The building, spanning more than 516,000 square feet, includes 25 floors of office and commercial space, as well as a 348-stall parking ramp.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 8 Jan. 2026
The neighborhood includes a wide variety of architectural styles — Moorish, Art Deco, Tudor-Revival, Modern — spanning decades and built by some of Detroit’s great architects, including Albert Kahn.
—Aaron Mondry, Freep.com, 8 Jan. 2026
The ASCs celebrate the year’s best in cinematography in seven categories spanning feature films, TV, documentaries and music videos.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 8 Jan. 2026
The Dallas Police Department has solved a cold case spanning more than five decades, the department announced earlier this month.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
While all past reports, spanning 1980-2024, will remain accessible on the agency's website, they will no longer be updated and no new events will be added moving forward.
—Matthew Glasser, ABC News, 8 Jan. 2026
The project is slated to include 10 data center buildings spanning nearly 5 million square feet, which is more floor space than three Lenox Square malls.
—Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 8 Jan. 2026
Mirren’s credits include The Queen, The Madness of King George, Red, the Fast & Furious franchise, Gosford Park, Trumbo and Hitchcock, among many others, and her decades-spanning career have earned her various accolades such as an Oscar, five Emmys, SAG, BAFTA and a Tony Award.
—Beatrice Verhoeven, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2025
Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 8 Jan. 2026
The building, spanning more than 516,000 square feet, includes 25 floors of office and commercial space, as well as a 348-stall parking ramp.
—Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 8 Jan. 2026
The neighborhood includes a wide variety of architectural styles — Moorish, Art Deco, Tudor-Revival, Modern — spanning decades and built by some of Detroit’s great architects, including Albert Kahn.
—Aaron Mondry, Freep.com, 8 Jan. 2026
The ASCs celebrate the year’s best in cinematography in seven categories spanning feature films, TV, documentaries and music videos.
—Erik Pedersen, Deadline, 8 Jan. 2026
The Dallas Police Department has solved a cold case spanning more than five decades, the department announced earlier this month.
—Michelle Del Rey, USA Today, 8 Jan. 2026
While all past reports, spanning 1980-2024, will remain accessible on the agency's website, they will no longer be updated and no new events will be added moving forward.
—Matthew Glasser, ABC News, 8 Jan. 2026
The project is slated to include 10 data center buildings spanning nearly 5 million square feet, which is more floor space than three Lenox Square malls.
—Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 8 Jan. 2026
Mirren’s credits include The Queen, The Madness of King George, Red, the Fast & Furious franchise, Gosford Park, Trumbo and Hitchcock, among many others, and her decades-spanning career have earned her various accolades such as an Oscar, five Emmys, SAG, BAFTA and a Tony Award.
—Beatrice Verhoeven, HollywoodReporter, 5 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spanning
Verb
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President Barack Obama replaced the test in 2012 with the Presidential Youth Fitness Program, which promoted living a physically active and healthy lifestyle rather than measuring athletic performance.—
Nuria Martinez-Keel,
Oklahoma Voice,
8 Jan. 2026
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One explanation for this apparent contradiction, advanced most notably by the South African scientist Tim Noakes, is that the studies are measuring the wrong thing.—
Alex Hutchinson,
Outside,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Whether the labor market continues to muddle through will be key for gauging the health of consumer spending — and its potential effect on corporate profits.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
1 Jan. 2026
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And the radiation-gauging clothing may also help those at risk of being exposed to higher-than-average levels of radiation on Earth, such as people who run CT scans in medical settings.—
Jessica Rendall,
Space.com,
12 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spanning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spanning. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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