as in durations
the period during which something exists, lasts, or is in progress
I saw no need to pay more for a better-built computer that would just grow obsolete before the end of its life span
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 life spans
From Kuwait to a small Italian university town, and then to New York and Arizona, his life spans love and loss, grief and success.
—
Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026
Thirty-year life spans, the long-standing benchmark for major sports venues, became twenty-five or twenty.
—John Seabrook, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
And, as stated above, cancers are usually a disease of the old, further reducing the likelihood of seeing them in a natural population where life spans tend to be relatively short.
—New Atlas, 27 Nov. 2025
Such issues mattered less when life spans were shorter, Bauer explained.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Oct. 2025
Rising living costs, inflation eroding purchasing power, and longer life spans have all made stepping away from the workforce more difficult than ever.
—Aliss Higham, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Sep. 2025
Meanwhile, marine life spans from the ocean sunfish to the dusky dolphin—but thankfully, South Africa’s iconic great white sharks are nowhere to be found.
—Jared Ranahan, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
To extend their life spans, keep them in a storage case when not needed.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 11 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for life spans
Noun
-
Hours of uniform length were widely adopted only in the 14th century, when clocks could maintain equal durations.—
-
Follow-up durations averaged around one year, meaning that longer-term outcomes remain uncertain.—
Noun
-
Kentucky entered Thursday night averaging nine turnovers per game but turned it over 10 times in the first half alone, and 20 for the game.—
-
Employees told responding sheriff's deputies that Naputi had previously stolen from the store seven other times since January 2024.—
Noun
-
Wet dress rehearsal testing will be carved up into runs, with the first occurring 49 hours ahead of the target test T-0 time with teams getting called to their launch support stations running down to T-90 seconds.—
-
Similar to Mike McDaniel’s system in some ways, the Kubiak system relies on zone runs, particularly outside zone.—
Noun
-
Episode 3 ended with Ron, Eric Nam, Kristen Kish, and Caroline Stanbury all tied to trees and hilariously pleading for their lives while the Traitors and a masked executioner all just kind of stood there awkwardly.—
-
What happened next was the drive of Beck’s and the Hurricanes’ lives.—
Noun
-
Seibert left a long legacy with enough experiences for a few lifetimes, based on all the stories told Tuesday by speakers who included his niece, Doreen Below, and San Jose Fire Chief Robert Sapien.—
-
And that’s what makes this one of the most meaningful fresh starts of our lifetimes.—
Cite this Entry
“Life spans.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/life%20spans. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share