Meaning & use
extend
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Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
To make something longer, bigger or to reach further, especially by stretching it out from its base.
Grammar: Takes an object when you make something longer: extend the table; no object when it reaches: the road extends north.
Patterns
- extend something
- extend to something
- extend from something to something
The pilot extended the landing gear before touchdown.
The garden extends all the way down to the river.
She extended her hand and introduced herself.
verbtransitive
To make something last longer or apply to more people or things.
Grammar: Takes an object: extend a deadline.
Patterns
- extend something by something
- extend something to someone
The teacher extended the deadline by two days.
The company extended the warranty to cover accidents.
The rule was extended to all new employees.
verbtransitiveformal
To offer or give something such as thanks, help or an invitation to someone.
Grammar: Takes an object, often with to: extend an invitation to someone.
Patterns
- extend an invitation to someone
- extend a welcome
We would like to extend our thanks to all the volunteers.
The mayor extended a warm welcome to the visiting students.
He extended an offer of help to his new neighbors.
Word forms
| third person singular | extends |
|---|---|
| past tense | extended |
| past participle | extended |
| -ing form | extending |
Common combinations
- extend a deadline
- The committee agreed to extend the deadline.
- extend an invitation
- They extended an invitation to the whole class.
- extend your arm
- Extend your arm and touch your toes.
- extend your stay
- We decided to extend our stay by another week.
- extend sympathy
- The president extended his sympathy to the families.
Synonyms and how they differ
- stretch
- Stretch emphasizes pulling something so that it becomes longer, while extend can also mean offering or lasting longer.
- prolong
- Prolong applies only to time, such as a meeting or a pain, not physical length.
- expand
- Expand suggests growing in all directions, whereas extend is generally about length or reach.
- lengthen
- Lengthen is a plain word for making longer and does not cover offering or reaching.
Opposites
Word family
- extension noun
- an addition or extra time
- extensive adjective
- large in area or amount
- extent noun
- the size or range of something
- extended adjective
- made longer or lasting a long time
- extensively adverb
- to a large degree
Commonly confused: extend or expand? extend or intend?
extend vs expand
Expand means grow larger in size, while extend means reach further or last longer.
extend vs intend
Intend means to plan to do something and is unrelated to stretching.
Practice
A cat's claws can be pulled in, which is retract, and also put out, which is ___.
Choose one answer.
Extend is the natural opposite of retract for physical parts. The other words sound similar but have different meanings.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “extend”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.