extend and lengthen imply a drawing out in space or time but extend may also imply increase in width, scope, area, or range.
extend a vacation
extend welfare services
lengthen a skirt
lengthen the workweek
prolong suggests chiefly increase in duration especially beyond usual limits.
prolonged illness
protract adds to prolong implications of needlessness, vexation, or indefiniteness.
protracted litigation
Examples of prolong in a Sentence
Additives are used to prolong the shelf life of packaged food.
High interest rates were prolonging the recession.
Recent Examples on the WebExperts say warmer conditions are prolonging the growing season, pushing the signs of fall's arrival back later.—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 20 Sep. 2024 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could present it as a political win after facing heavy domestic criticism for failing to prevent Hamas’s horrific October 7 attacks and prolonging the military campaign in Gaza.—Frederic Wehrey, Foreign Affairs, 17 Sep. 2024 The best beauty Advent calendars take the thrill of Christmas morning and prolong it for days on end.—Jenny Berg, Vogue, 17 Sep. 2024 Advertisement World & Nation 62 killed in Portugal forest fires, many dying in their cars as flames sweep road
June 18, 2017
With no rain forecast, national authorities prolonged an alert for fires until Thursday.—Helena Alves and Joseph Wilson, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for prolong
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prolong.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Middle French prolonguer, from Late Latin prolongare, from Latin pro- forward + longus long
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