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Glite Dictionary
⏳ To make longer 📏 To spread in line
to string out

to string out

1 4.2
To place things in a line along a path
  • phrasal verb
  • /strɪŋ aʊt/
translation icon : extender
  • It had been ten days, and Lee's army had been strung out for miles, moving southwest away from Gettysburg.
  • strung out in a line

And it's a lovely system, A star in the middle and the planets strung out like beads on a string.

Examples

  • There are eight of us strung out along the Chao Meng Fu crater floor, Dr. Lotati in the lead.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • Pretty quick, though, I backed off on the accelerator and slid in behind half a dozen vehicles strung out along the blacktop.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • The ejido was strung out along a couple of miles of highway.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • The camp is strung out along the Afghan side of the border with Tajikistan.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • Walking along on a hazy day with his party strung out behind him, he had seen what resembled a small round rock perched on the ice in the distance.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • Laura Providencia, Angel, and Aunt Titi were strung out in the road not far behind, each weighted with a portion of boxes, bundles, and shopping bags.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • The runners were strung out along the track as they approached the finish line.

  • The decorations were strung out along the length of the wall for the celebration.

  • Several tents were strung out across the campsite, allowing each family space and privacy.

Synonyms

to line up
vsto string out
115 2.6

Put people or things in a straight row

spaces items along a path with noticeable gaps between them
to lay out
vsto string out
100 3.1

To arrange items so they are ready and easy to see

focuses on spacing items along a path rather than general display
to string
vsto string out
36 3.8

To put beads or objects onto a cord in a line

uses general spacing along a path rather than threading on a cord
to set out
vsto string out
32 3.2

To arrange objects or information in a clear organized way

emphasizes physical spacing along a path rather than abstract arrangement
to spread out
vsto string out
24 3.1

To arrange or unfold things so they cover a larger area

places items along a narrow path rather than covering a wide area

How Far

to string out
1 4.2
to spread out
24 3.1
to line up
115 2.6

Surface Forms

string out infinitive
stringing out present participle
strings out third person singular
strung out past
strung out past participle

Morphology

string + out

The meaning 'to make something continue or last longer' is not directly derivable from the literal senses of 'string' (to thread) and 'out' (away), so a learner knowing only the constituents would not fully predict it. However, the idea of extending a line and the particle 'out' suggesting extension/continuation parallels other phrasal verbs (e.g. 'draw out', 'drag out'), so the sense is partly inferable from metaphorical extension and common particle usage.

Etymology

String out comes from the image of items put on a long string and pulled out into a line, like lights or people one after another. So it means 'to arrange or stretch things in a line or along a path'.