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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spans
Charlotte Observer, 16 June 2026
And the recipient of the foundation’s Lifetime Achievement award was Nancy Silverton, whose career spans four decades as a chef, baker, restaurateur, and author, particularly in Los Angeles with restaurants like Campanile and Osteria Mozza, and the La Brea Bakery.
—Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 16 June 2026
This massive acquisition spans 419,253 square feet.
—Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 15 June 2026
One of London's most beloved slices of tranquillity and nature, Hampstead Heath spans nearly 800 acres and is the place to be during sunny weather and summer months.
—Ruchira Sharma, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 June 2026
Simisolaoluwa Akande is a Nigerian British multiaward-winning artist filmmaker whose work spans fiction and speculative nonfiction.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 15 June 2026
Sponsored by New England Chevy Dealers Just a short drive from Newport, Rhode Island, the Norman Bird Sanctuary spans 300 acres of fields, forests, and coastal trails with sweeping views and more than six miles of hiking paths.
—Rachel Holt, CBS News, 14 June 2026
This one, located up to 23,000 feet below the surface of the southeastern Indian Ocean, spans the largest area and is so far the deepest and oldest found.
—Adithi Ramakrishnan, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2026
Authorities at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which spans parts of North Carolina and Tennessee, also reported a spike in encounters between aggressive bears and humans in April.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 10 June 2026
Verb
Charlotte’s news cycle so far this week spans a major banking leadership change, a high-stakes mayoral selection and the close of a chapter at a brand-new high school.
—Charlotte Observer, 16 June 2026
And the recipient of the foundation’s Lifetime Achievement award was Nancy Silverton, whose career spans four decades as a chef, baker, restaurateur, and author, particularly in Los Angeles with restaurants like Campanile and Osteria Mozza, and the La Brea Bakery.
—Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 16 June 2026
This massive acquisition spans 419,253 square feet.
—Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 15 June 2026
One of London's most beloved slices of tranquillity and nature, Hampstead Heath spans nearly 800 acres and is the place to be during sunny weather and summer months.
—Ruchira Sharma, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 June 2026
Simisolaoluwa Akande is a Nigerian British multiaward-winning artist filmmaker whose work spans fiction and speculative nonfiction.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 15 June 2026
Sponsored by New England Chevy Dealers Just a short drive from Newport, Rhode Island, the Norman Bird Sanctuary spans 300 acres of fields, forests, and coastal trails with sweeping views and more than six miles of hiking paths.
—Rachel Holt, CBS News, 14 June 2026
This one, located up to 23,000 feet below the surface of the southeastern Indian Ocean, spans the largest area and is so far the deepest and oldest found.
—Adithi Ramakrishnan, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2026
Authorities at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which spans parts of North Carolina and Tennessee, also reported a spike in encounters between aggressive bears and humans in April.
—Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 10 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spans
Verb
-
One option is an enormous single dish like the Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia, which measures 328 feet across.—
Denise Chow,
NBC news,
21 June 2026
-
The lot measures 6,501 square feet and includes a pool.—
Bay Area Home Report,
Mercury News,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
Griffin's attorneys said has not seen Altum in 35 years and said the pair never met in 2019 or were in a youth group together in middle school, as Altum claimed in her lawsuit.—
Liza Esquibias,
USA Today,
17 June 2026
-
Speaking with Handler, Oteri revealed that their friendship began as the pair attended a Milken Institute dinner in April.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
Ten years ago, on Mother’s Day, Fiona Galvin reported her 17-year-old daughter missing.—
Gloria Casas,
Chicago Tribune,
9 May 2026
-
Over the past 10 years, Quinn has seen an increase in challenging behavior and more emotions among her 6- and 7-year-olds, with a particular ramp-up since the pandemic.—
Stacker,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
Baseball Savant’s newest metric, which gauges how well hitters time up certain pitches and square them up, loves him.—
Fabian Ardaya,
New York Times,
14 June 2026
-
The annual Social Security trustees report, which gauges these timelines, is expected to be released this month.—
Lorie Konish,
CNBC,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
Solo travelers were abundant, though most travelers were couples, with a few families sprinkled in too.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 June 2026
-
Weddings, no offense to the couples who have them, are socio-celebratory rorschach tests that are almost designed to hold a magnifying glass up to the lives of their guests.—
Bobby Finger
June 16,
Literary Hub,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
Despite Mike Trout’s strong start to the season and strong stretches from starters José Soriano, Reid Detmers and Walbert Ureña, the Angels have had a worse first half this season with first-year manager Kurt Suzuki at the helm.—
Stephen J. Nesbitt,
New York Times,
16 June 2026
-
In between, there are stretches of wide valleys filled with junipers, pinyon pines, and jackrabbits peeking out from the sagebrush.—
Tamara Gane,
Travel + Leisure,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
This puffy tote features tons of interior pockets for easy organization, a water-resistant exterior, and weighs under a pound.—
Annie Blackman,
InStyle,
21 June 2026
-
The agency said Sanchez-Munoz has brown hair, weighs 184 pounds, is 5 feet 8 inches tall, has a tattoo on his right bicep and acne scars on his face.—
Nathan Pilling,
Kansas City Star,
19 June 2026
Noun
-
The ball was flying out of the park early and often, as the two teams combined for five total homers in the contest.—
Staff Report,
Twin Cities,
21 June 2026
-
The lopsided defeat spoke loudly to those who believe that tourney’s expansion from 32 to 48 teams was folly.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
21 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spans.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spans. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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