extend
- 01 B1 Intermediate
to make something bigger or longer in space.
to increase the physical length, area, or scope of something.
Simple“The family decided to extend their kitchen to make room for a larger dining table.”
In context“The city council plans to extend the light rail system into the northern suburbs to alleviate morning traffic congestion.”
- 02 B1 Intermediate
to make something continue for a longer time.
to prolong the duration of an event, deadline, or period of time.
Simple“The teacher agreed to extend the deadline for the essay until Friday.”
In context“The government decided to extend the tax incentive for another fiscal year to encourage further investment in renewable energy.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
to reach a certain point or cover a specific distance.
to occupy a certain space or reach a specific physical limit.
Simple“The forest extends for miles along the coast.”
In context“The property line extends all the way to the river bank, though the fence stops several meters short of the water.”
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
to offer something to someone, like an invitation, thanks, or a hand.
to formally offer or bestow a gesture, invitation, or sentiment.
Simple“I would like to extend a warm welcome to our guest speaker today.”
In context“The CEO extended an invitation to the junior analysts to join the strategy meeting, seeking a fresh perspective on the market trends.”
- 05 C1 Advanced
to straighten out your arm or leg.
to straighten a joint or limb, increasing the angle between the bones.
Simple“Extend your arms fully above your head while you breathe in.”
In context“The physical therapist instructed the patient to slowly extend the knee until the leg was completely straight, monitoring for any signs of discomfort.”
Synonyms - 06 C1 Advanced
to use an existing set of computer code to build a new, more specific one.
to create a subclass that inherits the properties and methods of a parent class.
Simple“In this program, the 'Car' class will extend the 'Vehicle' class.”
In context“By choosing to extend the base controller, the developer was able to reuse the authentication logic without duplicating code across the application.”
Usage extend far · easily extend · extend analysis
“Jon Fosse’s Septology extends a single sentence over seven volumes.”
“London continues to extend its lead with 32.7% of pupils receiving grade A or above, up from 31.9% last year.”
From Middle English extenden, from Anglo-Norman extendre, estendre, from Latin extendō (“to stretch out”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.