as in to measure
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 span
Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026
These stories span crime, business, local government and more.
—Sacbee.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Cameron Teague Robinson, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
The pool includes not just right, center and left but religious Jewish parties and an Arab party — a much wider span than in Hungary.
—Deborah Danan, Sun Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for span
Verb
Federal charges span from November 2024 to May 2025.
—Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026
These stories span crime, business, local government and more.
—Sacbee.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Noun
In the past two drafts, Ohio State has had 25 players picked, tied for the most in a two-year span.
—Cameron Teague Robinson, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026
The pool includes not just right, center and left but religious Jewish parties and an Arab party — a much wider span than in Hungary.
—Deborah Danan, Sun Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for span
Recent Examples of Synonyms for span
Verb
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Eric’s feisty, and Ozzie is really measured.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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The data is fairly precise, measured to within 3 meters every 2 minutes based on the Global Positioning System, Bluetooth beacons, cell phone towers and local wi-fi networks.—
Bart Jansen,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Seeking offense, New York plans to designate Tommy Pham for assignment and has agreed to a major league contract with Austin Slater, a pair of people familiar with the move said, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the decisions were not announced.—
Ronald Blum,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
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The number could carry some sticker shock because of the rising cap, but Edvinsson is already a good top-pair defenseman who is only getting better.—
Max Bultman,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The results released after the market closed on Friday overshadowed a second straight year of record earnings for Japan’s biggest brokerage.—
Takashi Nakamichi,
Bloomberg,
27 Apr. 2026
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After their Champions League quarter-final exit at the hands of Atletico Madrid — a title which had been the squad’s main objective — all that is left for Flick’s side now is to seemingly wait to be crowned champions of Spain for a second year in a row.—
Laia Cervelló Herrero,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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On Monday, lawyers for the two sides gauged potential jurors' views of Musk, Altman and artificial intelligence, leading some to admit to having a negative perception of Musk due to his political views.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
28 Apr. 2026
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Offensive line remains a question mark The offensive line is the toughest position to gauge because injuries were a massive issue in the spring, but the unit struggled in the scrimmage.—
Cameron Teague Robinson,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The couple was picked up by a driver named Javier in a 2023 Kia K5 sedan.—
Katie Langford,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
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Cisse brings a couple of his own Packers connections to Green Bay.—
Matt Schneidman,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The movement from Odegaard and Zubimendi towards the ball occupies Willock and Guimaraes, while White attacks the space vacated by the Newcastle captain and Havertz drops to provide a passing option.—
Ahmed Walid,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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Romantic Venus sextiles dreamy Neptune, softening conversations and opening space for empathy, imagination, and meaningful exchange.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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An entrepreneur can launch and scale with far less infrastructure.—
Bruce Broussard,
Fortune,
29 Apr. 2026
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Additionally, as the industry continues to scale, another concern begins to take shape, centered on the nature of the connection between patient and provider.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
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No one’s going to be stuck in a hand-over-hand situation like in a Tesla, with its horrid implementation of a yoke.—
Joel Feder,
The Drive,
2 Apr. 2026
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John holds on to the yoke, looking straight ahead, as alarms and red lights blare on the control panel.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Span.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/span. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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