span 1 of 2

verb

Definition of spannext
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

Relevance

span

2 of 2

noun

1
as in pair

Related Words
2
as in year

Related Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of span
Verb
Large data center projects can span enormous construction areas and involve several work fronts at once. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 7 Oct. 2026 That spans from prehistoric people to the famed Buffalo Soldiers. — ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026
Noun
The three goals, over a 75-second span helped the Bruins extend their streak to 11 consecutive wins in home openers. — ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026 Since 2001, 16 different franchises have won the World Series—that’s more than half the league, and more than the number of unique NHL champs (14), NFL champs (13) and NBA champs (13) in that span. — Molly Geary, Sportico.com, 28 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for span
Recent Examples of Synonyms for span
  1. measure
  2. pair
  3. year
  4. gauge
  5. couple
  6. space
  7. scale
  8. yoke
Verb
  • Second-quarter sales in the region, measured in hours, were up more than 68% year over year.
    — Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • By this gauge, policing’s proximity to the aesthetic field can be measured by its distance from the law.
    — Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of measure
Noun
  • Gustav Forsling, who is normally on Florida’s top defense pair with Aaron Ekblad, was a late scratch Thursday night with what the team called an upper-body injury.
    — Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The new Experimental Single Barrel series kicks things off with a pair of reposados that is worth checking out.
    — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of pair
Noun
  • Indeed, earlier this year the EU created a legally binding 2040 emissions reduction target.
    — Justin Worland, Time, 3 Oct. 2026
  • By the time the next spring rolled around, support for all-year DST dropped from 79 percent to 42 percent.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of year
Verb
  • Georgia’s public school students who graduated this spring scored better than public school students nationwide on the SAT, the exam many colleges use to gauge potential academic performance.
    — Eric Stirgus, AJC.com, 30 Sep. 2026
  • With initial flight tests complete, engineers have begun analyzing onboard telemetry to gauge the craft’s commercial limits.
    — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of gauge
Noun
  • The crowd consists of families, honeymooners, and older couples.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The upstairs couples’ section and the more open downstairs offer different experiences.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of couple
Noun
  • In the kids space, Studiocanal is also adapting Dermot O’Leary’s Toto the Ninja Cat and Astrid Lindgren’s Pippi Longstocking with Heyday.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Drawing from this, Songmont distills this ancient presence into the exhibition with a contemporary, walk-in space defined by clean, minimalist lines.
    — Footwear News, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of space
Verb
  • Sustainable Fashion Forum founder Brittany Sierra will also address whether consumer demand can help scale next-generation materials.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The fintech business is focused on scaling with the ambition of reaching unicorn status.
    — Connie Etemadi, Miami Herald, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of scale
Noun
  • One of the leading explanations for its origin goes back to an older meaning of the word ‘bucket’ — a beam or yoke from which animals could be suspended during slaughter.
    — Jim Dudlicek, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Second were unarmed passengers who subdued the armed attacker before one pulled back on the yoke to level the aircraft, drawing on knowledge from an air-disaster documentary.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of yoke

Phrases Containing span

Browse Nearby Words

spalls
span
spangle
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Span.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/span. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on span

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about span

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All