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
Getty Images The veteran journalist Barry Walters’ new book, Mighty Real, is an extensive history of LGBTQ music from 1969 to 2000, spanning from the Velvet Underground to RuPaul.
—
David Chiu, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026
The central Sahel is defined by the continent-spanning arid belt that passes through Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 10 May 2026
This is unique public land, Jackson Demonstration State Forest, spanning 50,000 acres.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 14 states spanning the political spectrum from Oklahoma to New York are considering legislation that would ban or pause new data centers, as public opinion on AI has increasingly shifted to the negative.
—Kevin Williams, CNBC, 9 May 2026
Long and her team worked with DJ Jay Jung to create a tight, hits-spanning set list.
—Audrey Noble, Vogue, 9 May 2026
At a news conference on Wednesday, authorities released seven different mugshot photos from Taylor's previous arrests spanning from as recently as 2020, all the way back to 1985.
—Kelsie Cairns, FOXNews.com, 9 May 2026
The stakes of the narrative had never been higher; the universe-spanning setting had never felt bigger; and the gameplay was resoundingly interactive, granting a new sense of intimacy with its worlds by seamlessly integrating the Wii’s motion controls.
—Billie Bugara, Pitchfork, 9 May 2026
Many of these birds winter in Mesoamerica’s Five Great Forests — a network spanning Mexico to Colombia.
—Anna Lello-Smith, New York Daily News, 9 May 2026
David Chiu, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026
The central Sahel is defined by the continent-spanning arid belt that passes through Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 10 May 2026
This is unique public land, Jackson Demonstration State Forest, spanning 50,000 acres.
—Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 14 states spanning the political spectrum from Oklahoma to New York are considering legislation that would ban or pause new data centers, as public opinion on AI has increasingly shifted to the negative.
—Kevin Williams, CNBC, 9 May 2026
Long and her team worked with DJ Jay Jung to create a tight, hits-spanning set list.
—Audrey Noble, Vogue, 9 May 2026
At a news conference on Wednesday, authorities released seven different mugshot photos from Taylor's previous arrests spanning from as recently as 2020, all the way back to 1985.
—Kelsie Cairns, FOXNews.com, 9 May 2026
The stakes of the narrative had never been higher; the universe-spanning setting had never felt bigger; and the gameplay was resoundingly interactive, granting a new sense of intimacy with its worlds by seamlessly integrating the Wii’s motion controls.
—Billie Bugara, Pitchfork, 9 May 2026
Many of these birds winter in Mesoamerica’s Five Great Forests — a network spanning Mexico to Colombia.
—Anna Lello-Smith, New York Daily News, 9 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spanning
Verb
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But the real signal worth measuring is whether that leads to more time with customers, stronger pipelines, and better win rates.—
Katy George,
Time,
11 May 2026
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The piece, measuring just 12 inches high, was previously stuck in Israel as a result of the war that country and the US are waging in Iran, which began with major joint bombardments on February 28.—
Brian Boucher,
ARTnews.com,
11 May 2026
Verb
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The price-to-book ratio remains a reasonable proxy for gauging Berkshire’s intrinsic value.—
Bill Stone,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
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And pH1 is on the chart in terms of gauging the health of water.—
Stephen Schaefer,
Boston Herald,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spanning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spanning. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
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