Synonyms of prolong

prolong

verb

prə-ˈlȯŋ 

as in to lengthen

to make longer

would like to prolong our vacation by any means possible

Synonyms & Similar Words

• lengthen
• extend
• increase
• stretch
• protract
• elongate
• drag (out)
• draw out
• expand
• enlarge
• outstretch
• amplify
• attenuate
• thin

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• shorten
• curtail
• cut
• reduce
• cut back
• decrease
• diminish
• lessen
• abridge
• abbreviate
• thicken

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb prolong contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of prolong are extend, lengthen, and protract. While all these words mean "to draw out or add to so as to increase in length," prolong suggests chiefly increase in duration especially beyond usual limits.

prolonged illness

How do extend and lengthen relate to one another, in the sense of prolong?

Both extend and lengthen imply a drawing out in space or time but extend may also imply increase in width, scope, area, or range.

extend a vacation

extend welfare services

lengthen a skirt

lengthen the workweek

How are the words protract and prolong related?

Protract adds to prolong implications of needlessness, vexation, or indefiniteness.

protracted litigation

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of prolong

Because the fire is being allowed to burn out, the closure along Santa Fe, a busy arterial, could be prolonged, Assell said. —Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 27 Apr. 2026

Compass Therapeutics said its drug for advanced biliary cancer delayed tumor progression but failed to prolong survival compared to chemotherapy in a clinical trial. —Meghana Keshavan, STAT, 27 Apr. 2026

Peace talks have stalled ahead of the war’s two-month mark, prolonging oil disruptions and stoking higher gas prices around the world. —Auzinea Bacon, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2026

With her cancer ongoing, Boda's family created a GoFundMe to fund a treatment in Germany that could prolong her life. —Lexi Lane, PEOPLE, 26 Apr. 2026