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↔️ To cover ⏳ A length or period 🌉 A bridge part 🤚 An old unit 🏇 A straddling position
to span

to span

98 3.4
To stretch across an area or period of time
  • verb
  • /spæn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : abarcar
  • Again, this is a Netflix series that spans multiple seasons.
  • span several years
  • span a range
  • span a period

It's got a lot of the stuff spanning his, his career.

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Examples

  • Every Wednesday, I'd drive to the Suzukis' home, a large family spanning four generations.

    Fiction book (1999)

  • At the end of the Jurassic Era, its territory spanned from Europe to South America.

    Sea Rex 3D: Journey to a Prehistoric World (2010)

  • These things span huge distances across the sky.

  • When working with public health partners, the responsibilities of the investigation often span several jurisdictions.

    Academic text (2008)

  • There used to be cities that spanned hundreds of miles.

    The Matrix (1999)

  • Records of her activities span almost 2OO years, during which she never seemed to age.

    The Eternal (1998)

  • We know that codependency is a cycle that could span a person's lifetime.

    DoctorRamani

  • We are putting together a vintage swimsuit display that spans 100 years.

    Rip Tide (2017)

  • Starting immediately, we will create teleportation bridges spanning the globe.

    The Fantastic 4: First Steps (2025)

  • The bridge will span the river, connecting both sides of the city.

Synonyms

to cross
vsto span
∞ 1.0

To go across something from one side to the other

stretches across a space or time rather than moving through it
to cover
vsto span
192 3.3

To go across an area or distance

stretches between points, focusing on reaching across a space or time
to extend to
vsto span
58 3.4

Reach up to a certain point or limit

stretches across an area or time rather than only to a limit
to traverse
vsto span
16 5.6

To move across land or water from one side to the other

reaches across or connects areas without implying travel
to straddle
vsto span
13 5.0

To reach across an area so parts are on both sides

reaches across generally, not necessarily positioned on both sides
to stretch along
vsto span
2 4.2

To continue for a long distance along a narrow area

reaches across in any shape, not only long narrow areas

Compounds

attention span
36 3.4

The time someone can focus on one thing without getting distracted

spick-and-span
3 4.2

Very clean and tidy, looking almost new

spic-and-span
3 4.9

Completely clean and tidy with no dust or dirt

span loading
  • Specialized
8.5

The weight of a plane for each meter of wing length

How Far

to traverse
16 5.6
to cross
∞ 1.0
to span
  • Specialized
98 3.4
to stretch
285 1.0
to reach
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

span infinitive
spanned past
spanned past participle
spanning present participle
spans third person singular

Etymology

Span as a verb comes from old English spannan 'to stretch', so to span something is to stretch or reach across space or time, for example a bridge that spans a river or a career that spans decades.