as in measures
to find out the size, extent, or amount of
tried to span the distance between the two trees by eye alone
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spans
Bloomberg, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
His flagship property, Vermejo, spans a whopping 558,000 acres—about 870 square miles in New Mexico and Colorado—and operates under Ted Turner Reserves as a hybrid of luxury lodge and conservation laboratory.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 10 Feb. 2026
That area spans north of State Avenue and between 126th and 118th streets.
—Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 10 Feb. 2026
Sitting at the corner of Piccadilly and the historic luxury shopping street, the multifloor space spans 9,150 square feet within a Queen Anne-style building.
—Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 9 Feb. 2026
Thomas, whose 40-year career spans TV, film and stage, delves deep with Hoke.
—Oline Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 9 Feb. 2026
The work spans financial advising, estate considerations, investment strategy, income planning, and guidance across a variety of investment assets.
—Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 8 Feb. 2026
That continuity spans administrations, parties, and eras of war and peace, yet most Americans have never heard this history.
—Carol L. Harris, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2026
Its mandate spans medical care, benefits processing under the Havana Act, research, and coordination with investigative elements examining potential causes.
—Olivia Gazis, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
Verb
Bad Bunny’s role in the Super Bowl also underscores Zara’s growing cultural reach in the US, a key market for the group, where the artist’s influence spans Latino and non-Latino consumers alike.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 10 Feb. 2026
His flagship property, Vermejo, spans a whopping 558,000 acres—about 870 square miles in New Mexico and Colorado—and operates under Ted Turner Reserves as a hybrid of luxury lodge and conservation laboratory.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 10 Feb. 2026
That area spans north of State Avenue and between 126th and 118th streets.
—Sofi Zeman, Kansas City Star, 10 Feb. 2026
Sitting at the corner of Piccadilly and the historic luxury shopping street, the multifloor space spans 9,150 square feet within a Queen Anne-style building.
—Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 9 Feb. 2026
Thomas, whose 40-year career spans TV, film and stage, delves deep with Hoke.
—Oline Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 9 Feb. 2026
The work spans financial advising, estate considerations, investment strategy, income planning, and guidance across a variety of investment assets.
—Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 8 Feb. 2026
That continuity spans administrations, parties, and eras of war and peace, yet most Americans have never heard this history.
—Carol L. Harris, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2026
Its mandate spans medical care, benefits processing under the Havana Act, research, and coordination with investigative elements examining potential causes.
—Olivia Gazis, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spans
Verb
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The bag measures about 20 inches tall, 13 inches wide, and nine inches deep, which fits within most airlines’ carry-on size requirements.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Feb. 2026
-
My nurse practitioner ordered a PSA test, or protein specific antigen, which measures a chemical produced by the prostate in your bloodstream.—
Jerry McCormick,
USA Today,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Annie's husband, and Savannah's brother-in-law, is Tommaso Cioni, according to Page Six, which published photographs of the pair leaving their home in Tucson.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
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The children of a Colorado ski instructor (Stephen) and Finnish native (Essi) and raised in Steamboat Springs, the pair naturally grew up on the slopes.—
Dana ONeil,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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At Starbucks stores, the company revised the dress code for baristas, suggesting employees wear solid black tops and remove ear gauges larger than a quarter.—
Jake Angelo,
Fortune,
30 Jan. 2026
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The research firm's Secondhand Pricing Tracker gauges the resale premium — or the auction sale price of a bag compared to its original retail price — and is weighted by volume.—
Robert Frank,
CNBC,
16 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Not many middle-aged couples on TV argue about whether oral sex while driving is a wise move.—
Sarah Hepola,
Dallas Morning News,
10 Feb. 2026
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For those unhealthily aware of the social-media dynamics between couples, there are countless possibilities of what could’ve happened.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The 308-pound calf was the first elephant born at the zoo in almost 25 years and only the third elephant birth in the zoo’s 136-year history.—
Michael E. Ruane,
Washington Post,
14 Feb. 2026
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The event has been held annually for the past fifteen years, but this year there was an extra layer of sombreness to the proceedings, which the overcast skies seemed to reflect.—
Edwidge Danticat,
New Yorker,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Officials say Torres is 5 feet 3 inches tall, weighs 240 pounds, and has brown eyes and black hair.—
Nick Lentz,
CBS News,
8 Feb. 2026
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Compared with systems already in service, the design uses about half as many parts and weighs more than 20 percent less, while also delivering measurable gains in performance, including higher top speed and longer operating range for the aircraft it is fitted to.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Every one of the NFL’s 32 teams has played a regular-season game outside the United States and is signed up to the league’s Global Markets Program.—
Tom Chitty,
CNBC,
15 Feb. 2026
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The committee uses 12 criteria to determine who belongs in the field and where teams should be seeded.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Jakub Dobeš has had strong stretches for the Montreal Canadiens and David Rittich has played lights-out behind Ilya Sorokin on Long Island.—
Jesse Granger,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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Winter has been brutal for Ukraine’s civilian population, who have faced long stretches without power or heating due to Russian strikes on energy infrastructure.—
Freddie Clayton,
NBC news,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spans.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spans. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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