PROTRACTED Synonyms: 64 Similar and Opposite Words

protracted 1 of 2

adjective

as in prolonged

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protracted

2 of 2

verb

past tense of protract

as in lengthened

to make longer the highway project was protracted by years of litigation

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 protracted

Adjective

Oil jumped by more than 5% to $95 a barrel, while Asian stocks slid over worries the latest attacks point to protracted hostilities. — Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 2 Sep. 2026 Carriage negotiations between more traditional TV providers and the network owners regularly turn into protracted affairs, causing channel blackouts if not lawsuits. — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 1 Sep. 2026 Potential outcomes include a lengthy standoff over raising the debt ceiling, more whipsawing executive actions and potential volatility if there's a protracted wait for election results. — Garrett Downs, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026 Sources at Arsenal and Newcastle suggest that the protracted pursuit of Guimaraes is now entering its end game. — Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 5 Aug. 2026 Less of a reboot than a shameless do-over, Marc Webb‘s first Spider-Man film tells a more protracted origin story, with half the fun and twice the self-importance (the film earns a rare dead-dad hat trick). — Darren Franich, Entertainment Weekly, 1 Aug. 2026 The Iranian regime wants to drag the United States into a protracted war. — Francesca Chambers, USA Today, 29 July 2026 Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Saber-rattling between Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association over the league’s push for a salary cap could lead to a protracted lockout. — Maury Brown, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026 An aide can be assigned to watch a particularly challenging resident one-on-one, but many places lack enough staff for protracted, dedicated supervision. — Jordan Rau, NPR, 19 July 2026

Verb

While import costs have been on a downward trajectory and are expected to continue to fall, protracted geopolitical upheaval will persist in driving up the cost of oil, putting pressure on the industry. — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026 Several of the stories read like Carruthers' — protracted but ultimately failed attempts to establish IV access. — Catherine Sweeney, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026 The legal filings marked the latest salvo in Missouri’s protracted redistricting fight. — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 5 Sep. 2026 The split with the organization was triggered by a tense and protracted confrontation with the chair of its board of directors, Sophie Chandauka. — Diego Parrado, Vanity Fair, 16 Aug. 2026 When hostilities intensify and become protracted, hatred, resentment, and the desire for revenge make war self-sustaining. — Matt Waldman, Foreign Affairs, 13 Aug. 2026 That Premier League transfer eventually came at the start of July, following protracted talks between Middlesbrough and Everton. — Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026 The eviction process was protracted and followed a series of complex legal battles led by residents of the encampment, who organized as a collective to advocate for their rights. — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 7 Aug. 2026 Their task, then, is to navigate what is likely to be an ugly, protracted battle in which the league will be in direct opposition to the players people pay to see. — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 17 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for protracted

Adjective

As voters decide which party can best rescue their chance at the American Dream, political experts say prolonged economic hardship is the defining feature influencing voters in the midterms.

— Amy L. Wong, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
In this latest report, the commission describes the dire impacts of prolonged cold exposure on Ukrainian civilians, saying that the country’s medical authorities documented deaths caused by low temperatures in homes, and even in hospitals.

— Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of prolonged

Verb

During construction, it was lengthened by 39 feet, adding a submarine hangar, a media studio, and a 3-D-printing and robotics laboratory.

— Robb Report, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026
The cash conversion cycle has lengthened, inventory turnover has slowed, and average days on the lot have crept higher.

— Michael Khouw, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of lengthened

Adjective

Sent from pillar to post – to the bank’s Accounts, Payments and Claims treading dark puddled basement corridors and joining seemingly interminable lines.

— John Hopewell, Variety, 21 Oct. 2026
There is already a feeling among many supporters that the time spent poring over marginal decisions — all those interminable stoppages for calls that are going to cause dissatisfaction, whatever the outcome — is far too much.

— Oliver Kay, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of interminable

Verb

After Maduro was deposed, Venezuela's highest court said Rodríguez could serve as acting president for up to 90 days -- an interim appointment that could be extended by the National Assembly for an additional 90 days.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
Outside of the Bronx, everybody hated the Yankees – until the 2001 World Series, when the nation’s sympathies were extended to the team in pinstripes.

— Don Riddell, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of extended

Adjective

Fond of travel but afraid to fly, Pan would take longish vacations in the Mediterranean, the Middle East, or Mexico, sometimes accompanied by his nieces.

— David Hajdu, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026
Throughout the event, a guy bounds around, introducing the recordists, then crouching to cue their recordings on a laptop, his dark, longish hair under a black dad cap bearing the club’s name.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of longish

Verb

The Paris police requested the change because police and security resources are stretched thin due to mass protests, ongoing civil unrest, and France's first NFL game happening in the region, per multiple reports.

— Armando Salguero OutKick, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Meanwhile, your star rep’s calendar is full, her manager is stretched thin, and the next batch of recruits needs coaching.

— Anis Bennaceur, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of stretched

Adjective

And look at the Johnson-less segments, like the overlong Weekend Update (more on that later) — or especially the stale-as-hell midterm ads political cold open, another excuse to run through all the usual impressions.

— Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 4 Oct. 2026
Still, there’s a kind of hip, comfort food aspect to the entire enterprise that keeps it an easy, if slightly cluttered and overlong watch.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of overlong

Verb

During a July 27 Highfill Water and Sewer Committee meeting, Kahrl reported the number of active water meters in the city increased from 2,077 to 2,285 over 12 months.

— Randy Moll, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
More recently, the evolution of AI has increased the ease with which these websites can be populated with content, eliminating the need to pay writers and automating the production of social media posts.

— Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of increased

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protract

protracted

protracting

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Style

“Protracted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/protracted. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of protracted

adjective

verb

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