as in durations
the period during which something exists, lasts, or is in progress
I saw no need to pay more for a better-built computer that would just grow obsolete before the end of its life span
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of life spans
This embrace of coal is a short-term fix—extending the life spans of older coal-burning plants rather than spawning a wave of new ones.
—
Jordan Blum, Fortune, 19 May 2026
Her life spans a century of dedication to and passion for all things creative in a lifetime of benefit to and for all.
—Jerry Shnay, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
What are the life spans of data centers?
—Claudia Levens, jsonline.com, 6 Mar. 2026
In many-minded terms, an octopus’s natural life spans so many lives that the one-minded might call it unnatural or even schizophrenic.
—Mandy-Suzanne Wong, Longreads, 5 Feb. 2026
The concept of Mother Earth or Mother Nature as the center of the universe and source of all life spans Indigenous cultures around the globe.
—Melinda Laituri, The Conversation, 4 Feb. 2026
Steeped in the civil rights movement Norton was born and raised in Washington, and her life spans the arc of the district’s trials and triumphs.
—Matt Brown, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Move your body more Adding just a few minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day can help contribute to longer life spans, particularly for people with sedentary lifestyles.
—Hunter Boyce, AJC.com, 21 Jan. 2026
From Kuwait to a small Italian university town, and then to New York and Arizona, his life spans love and loss, grief and success.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
Jordan Blum, Fortune, 19 May 2026
Her life spans a century of dedication to and passion for all things creative in a lifetime of benefit to and for all.
—Jerry Shnay, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
What are the life spans of data centers?
—Claudia Levens, jsonline.com, 6 Mar. 2026
In many-minded terms, an octopus’s natural life spans so many lives that the one-minded might call it unnatural or even schizophrenic.
—Mandy-Suzanne Wong, Longreads, 5 Feb. 2026
The concept of Mother Earth or Mother Nature as the center of the universe and source of all life spans Indigenous cultures around the globe.
—Melinda Laituri, The Conversation, 4 Feb. 2026
Steeped in the civil rights movement Norton was born and raised in Washington, and her life spans the arc of the district’s trials and triumphs.
—Matt Brown, Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2026
Move your body more Adding just a few minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day can help contribute to longer life spans, particularly for people with sedentary lifestyles.
—Hunter Boyce, AJC.com, 21 Jan. 2026
From Kuwait to a small Italian university town, and then to New York and Arizona, his life spans love and loss, grief and success.
—Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for life spans
Noun
-
Yields fell across durations on Wednesday morning as nerves calmed, but narrowed on reports Starmer’s leadership rival Wes Streeting is preparing to resign as health secretary.—
Elsa Ohlen,Joseph Wilkins,Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
13 May 2026
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That data consisted of random phone numbers and matches with names, call times and call durations.—
Davey Winder,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2026
Noun
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The Angels have missed the MLB playoffs for 11 consecutive seasons — including six with stars Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout on the roster — and have reached the postseason six times since Moreno purchased the team in 2003 after the franchise’s sole World Series title win in 2002.—
Joaquin Ruiz,
Los Angeles Times,
25 May 2026
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Drone plans developed by NASA suggest the space agency is particularly interested in Arsia Mons, a shield volcano in Mars' Tharsis region, which includes the largest volcanoes in the solar system, such as Olympus Mons — almost three times as high as Mount Everest.—
Tom Brown,
Space.com,
25 May 2026
Noun
-
Schlittler posted six-plus innings, seven strikeouts and two runs against.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
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In the Patriot League, Madison Adams went 3-for-3 with two triples and drove in two runs, backing Caroline Arruda’s 11 strikeouts as Marshfield blanked Plymouth North 11-0.—
Kristina Banahan,
Boston Herald,
20 May 2026
Noun
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The volunteer team was a diverse group of people, at different stages in their lives, and from various social and cultural backgrounds.—
Via Riverhead,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2026
-
Authorities are trying to unravel what led two teenagers to open fire at the San Diego Islamic Center, killing three people before taking their own lives.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
To further develop the engine, the team plans to investigate light-emitting materials with shorter fluorescence lifetimes and tunable emission bandwidths, which can further speed up data rates.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
23 May 2026
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Conant has been in the arena for roughly ten consecutive CEO lifetimes.—
Vibhas Ratanjee,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Life spans.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/life%20spans. Accessed 26 May. 2026.
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