Synonyms

extend

American

[ik-stend] / ɪkˈstɛnd /

verb (used with object)

to stretch out; draw out to the full length.

He extended the measuring tape as far as it would go.

Antonyms:

contract, shorten
to stretch, draw, or arrange in a given direction, or so as to reach a particular point, as a cord, wall, or line of troops.
to stretch forth or hold out, as the arm or hand.

to extend one's hand in greeting.
to place at full length, especially horizontally, as the body or limbs.
to increase the length or duration of; lengthen; prolong.

to extend a visit.

Synonyms:

continue
to stretch out in various or all directions; expand; spread out in area.

A huge tent was extended over the field.

Synonyms:

dilate, widen, enlarge
to enlarge the scope of, or make more comprehensive, as operations, influence, or meaning.

The European powers extended their authority in Asia.
to provide as an offer or grant; offer; grant; give.

to extend aid to needy scholars.

Synonyms:

impart, bestow
Finance. to postpone (the payment of a debt) beyond the time originally agreed upon.
to increase the bulk or volume of, especially by adding an inexpensive or plentiful substance.
Bookkeeping. to transfer (figures) from one column to another.
Law.
1. British. to assess or value.
2. to make a seizure or levy upon, as land, by a writ of extent.
Manège. to bring (a horse) into an extended attitude.
to exert (oneself ) to an unusual degree.
Archaic. to exaggerate.
Obsolete. to take by seizure.

verb (used without object)

to be or become extended; stretch out in length, duration, or in various or all directions.
to reach, as to a particular point.
to increase in length, area, scope, etc.
Manège. (of a horse) to come into an extended attitude.

extend British

/ ɪkˈstɛnd /

verb

to draw out or be drawn out; stretch
to last for a certain time

his schooling extended for three years
(intr) to reach a certain point in time or distance

the land extends five miles
(intr) to exist or occur

the trees extended throughout the area
(tr) to increase (a building, etc) in size or area; add to or enlarge
(tr) to broaden the meaning or scope of

the law was extended
(tr) to put forth, present, or offer

to extend greetings
to stretch forth (an arm, etc)
(tr) to lay out (a body) at full length
(tr) to strain or exert (a person or animal) to the maximum
(tr) to prolong (the time originally set) for payment of (a debt or loan), completion of (a task), etc
(tr) accounting
1. to carry forward
2. to calculate the amount of (a total, balance, etc)
(tr) law (formerly in England) to value or assess (land)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Synonym Usage

See lengthen.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of extend

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English extenden, from Latin extendere “to stretch out.” See ex- ¹, tend ¹

Explanation

The verb extend can have several related meanings, including thrust out, continue, broaden, expand, unfold, span, or increase in scope. Extend, as a verb, is used in many ways. You extend (hold out) your hand when you offer to shake. You extend (push forward) a deadline when you add a few days to it. Your belly might extend (broaden) after a holiday dinner. A telescope extends (expands) your range of vision. If the list of definitions for extend were infinite, you could extend (add to) that list forever and ever. But your patience might not extend that far.

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

extend extends extended extending

Legislation that will extend mortgage relief to victims of the January 2025 Los Angeles County wildfires and establish a similar permanent program for disaster victims statewide was signed into law Tuesday by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026

Russia has placed a ban on its own diesel exports through the end of September and is widely expected to extend that moratorium.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026

Should fizzling investment and consumption extend into the winter, Beijing may be pushed to act to reach its annual growth target of 4.5%-5%, economists say.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

"I want to extend my thoughts to local people who have been affected," she said.

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026

But Welles and his team attracted enough listeners during the summer for CBS to extend the program with thirteen new fall episodes.

From "Spooked!" by Gail Jarrow

The newly identified mechanism operates within the primary cilium, a microscopic antenna-shaped structure that extends from the surface of most cells in the body.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 15, 2026

The Swiss company rarely offers deals, discounting only older items to make room for new stock, an approach that extends to its retailer partners.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026

That gap between subject matter and classroom time extends beyond a single campus.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

As it extends to the west of the country, participating bus operators will be reimbursed by public body Transport Scotland.

From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026

She wipes her hands on a napkin and extends one out to me.

From "American Street" by Ibi Zoboi

Home prices have been steadily rising, but many home buyers remain rate sensitive, even during this extended housing slump.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

Their effects can become much more severe when several cyclones arrive in rapid succession, keeping the region stormy for an extended period.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026

Jones said that the impact of such wildfires extended far beyond biodiversity loss.

From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026

Galicia was preaching at his church in South L.A. when flames engulfed his home, where he lived with an extended family of 10.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2026

She moved over to Coal and extended her hand.

From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste

Markets could effectively be saying that one rate increase is insufficient to contain the inflation problem or that investors require greater compensation for risks extending beyond monetary policy.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley compared semaglutide directly with calorie restriction, one of the best-known interventions for extending lifespan in laboratory animals.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 12, 2026

And in qualifying the difference was a stark 0.314secs, making more likely the prospect of the 66-point gap in the championship between them extending still further on Sunday.

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

For families in which trauma remains unspoken, silence can become a pattern, one that risks extending across generations.

From Slate ● Sep. 11, 2026

Her posture was straight and formal; the only movement about her was the swaying of a long strand of wooden beads wrapped around her waist and extending down to her knees.

From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023