as in to lengthen
to make longer
the highway project was protracted by years of litigation
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of protract
Even when cases of public console hacking have led to protracted legal fights—such as George Hotz's saga with the PS3 or Team Xecuter's Switch jailbreaks—console makers don't seem to have used technical means to completely disable offline functions for specific consoles.
—
ArsTechnica, 22 May 2025
For Beijing, a larger-scale, protracted war would be too costly.
—Oriana Skylar Mastro, Foreign Affairs, 20 May 2025
Four days later, following complicated and protracted search and rescue efforts, the bodies of seven victims were found.
—David Chiu, People.com, 12 May 2025
The women’s team were demoted to the fifth tier of English football before the start of the current season amid the wider club’s financial difficulties and protracted takeover saga.
—Steve Madeley, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for protract
ArsTechnica, 22 May 2025
For Beijing, a larger-scale, protracted war would be too costly.
—Oriana Skylar Mastro, Foreign Affairs, 20 May 2025
Four days later, following complicated and protracted search and rescue efforts, the bodies of seven victims were found.
—David Chiu, People.com, 12 May 2025
The women’s team were demoted to the fifth tier of English football before the start of the current season amid the wider club’s financial difficulties and protracted takeover saga.
—Steve Madeley, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for protract
Recent Examples of Synonyms for protract
Verb
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The wait seemed endless, especially given all the compensatory picks that lengthened the seventh round.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
20 May 2025
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And this oversized cut and loose silhouette suits Princess Kate particularly well; the high-waist fit visually lengthens her legs, while the angular cut of the blazer is confident and structured.—
Lina-Marie Baatz,
Glamour,
14 May 2025
Verb
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Bell Media, meanwhile, initially sought damages but settled the legal dispute in October after extending its partnership with Warner on HBO and HBO Max content for multiple years.—
Amber Dowling,
Variety,
13 June 2025
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The storm risk extends through parts of several central U.S. states, including Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
13 June 2025
Verb
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Read More: Rather than needing a method to cook these large amounts of meat, these early humans needed a way to prolong the availability and longevity of meat for consumption over time.—
Sam Walters,
Discover Magazine,
5 June 2025
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Many see the peace talks as a charade that both sides know will fail, prolonged only to avoid the ire and impatience of President Donald Trump.—
Keir Simmons,
NBC news,
3 June 2025
Verb
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Add depth to a fence to increase its effectiveness.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
7 June 2025
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Mahan won his first term as mayor in 2022 with 51.3% of the vote after residents pushed to move the mayoral election to align with the presidential one to increase voter turnout.—
Barnini Chakraborty,
The Washington Examiner,
7 June 2025
Verb
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By 2005, wolf territory in Idaho stretched from near the Canadian border, south to Interstate 84 and east from the Oregon border to the Montana and Wyoming borders, the wolf team noted in its annual report.—
Clark Corbin,
Idaho Statesman,
12 June 2025
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Angela and Tommy's relationship often stretches tautly, then springs back in unexpected ways.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
12 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Protract.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/protract. Accessed 16 Jun. 2025.
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