as in measures
to find out the size, extent, or amount of
tried to span the distance between the two trees by eye alone
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of spans
Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 31 Oct. 2025
Our list of sci-fi horror novels spans from 20th-century classics to modern masterpieces, all testing how far humanity goes before reason falters and horror takes over.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 31 Oct. 2025
Housed in a former plastic bottle factory in an industrial suburb between Athens and the port city of Piraeus, Onassis Ready spans more than 40,000 square feet.
—Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 31 Oct. 2025
The four-day weekend features Michelin star and James Beard Award winning chefs, renowned sommeliers, and an exciting lineup of live music from Grammy-award winners that spans genres from Americana and bluegrass to rock and roll and the blues.
—Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2025
The district spans from Marshall in northern Fauquier County to Lovettsville in northern Loudoun County.
—Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 31 Oct. 2025
Walter is chairman and CEO of TWG Global, a diversified holding company that spans financial services; insurance; AI and related technologies; sports, media and entertainment; lending and corporate finance; and merchant banking.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 30 Oct. 2025
The Roman-era settlement spans 37 acres.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2025
That’s highly encouraging and spans much more than the lopsided game against the Raiders, a game in which Kansas City eased off the accelerator instead of running up the score even more.
—Jeff Howe, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
The chat also spans the creator economy, the concept behind streamer-for-all service Joyn and his views on market-changing deals such as Netflix and TF1‘s channels and streaming pact in France.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 31 Oct. 2025
Our list of sci-fi horror novels spans from 20th-century classics to modern masterpieces, all testing how far humanity goes before reason falters and horror takes over.
—Kenna Hughes-Castleberry, Space.com, 31 Oct. 2025
Housed in a former plastic bottle factory in an industrial suburb between Athens and the port city of Piraeus, Onassis Ready spans more than 40,000 square feet.
—Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 31 Oct. 2025
The four-day weekend features Michelin star and James Beard Award winning chefs, renowned sommeliers, and an exciting lineup of live music from Grammy-award winners that spans genres from Americana and bluegrass to rock and roll and the blues.
—Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2025
The district spans from Marshall in northern Fauquier County to Lovettsville in northern Loudoun County.
—Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 31 Oct. 2025
Walter is chairman and CEO of TWG Global, a diversified holding company that spans financial services; insurance; AI and related technologies; sports, media and entertainment; lending and corporate finance; and merchant banking.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 30 Oct. 2025
The Roman-era settlement spans 37 acres.
—Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2025
That’s highly encouraging and spans much more than the lopsided game against the Raiders, a game in which Kansas City eased off the accelerator instead of running up the score even more.
—Jeff Howe, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spans
Verb
-
To detect them, Morton's team used spectroscopy, a technique that measures how hot gas moves toward or away from Earth.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
4 Nov. 2025
-
The center-right foundation compiles the index, which measures the tax climate for businesses and consumers.—
David Lightman,
Sacbee.com,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Insert one very awkward stalemate between the pair here.—
Emlyn Travis,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
-
To dress this look up even more, pair it with a pair of black tights and boots.—
Caroline Hughes,
Travel + Leisure,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Counter Culture starts you off with a quick quiz that gauges your preferences.—
Brittany Loggins,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Flood forecasts Along the coast, moderate to major flooding is forecast at nearly three dozen tide gauges from North Carolina to Long Island over the weekend, including the Chesapeake and Delaware bays.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Perched against the rugged shoreline away from Waikiki, Turtle Bay is ideal for families, couples or groups of friends, offering activities like surfing lessons, for people of all abilities, and horseback riding.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Studies conducted in recent years have shown that women in heterosexual couples predominantly take on the brunt of domestic tasks—managing the family’s calendar, unloading the dishwasher, feeding pets.—
Paula Mejía,
The Atlantic,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Coming off a career-high 73 points and just 24 years old on a $7 million-per-year deal (a bargain relative to Kaprizov's soon-to-be $17 million per year), Boldy is entering his prime and the Wild are looking for big things from him.—
Michael Russo,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
According to Rockefeller Center, this massive tree is an impressive 75 feet tall, 45 feet wide, and weighs 11 tons.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 Oct. 2025
-
The 420,000-pound pole flies a 70-by-140-foot American flag that spans 9,800 square feet and weighs 250 pounds.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Though Giolito had a bounce-back year after missing the entirety of the 2024 season, an elbow issue forced him to miss the playoffs and could make teams hesitate in free agency.—
Shaun McAvoy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Even the bad teams still want to keep their quarterback upright and have a chance to run a functional offense.—
Jeff Zrebiec,
New York Times,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Hunter stretches, too, to weld the play’s interest in the act of watching television to stargazing.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Many stretches of the Madison River, for example, are catch-and-release only for rainbow trout (except for anglers under 14 years, who can keep one of any size).—
Christine Peterson,
Outdoor Life,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Spans.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spans. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share