-thən verb
( lengthened ; lengthened ; lengthening -th(ə)niŋ ; lengthens )
transitive verb
1. : to extend in length : make longer : elongate , prolong , protract
lengthened their skirts halfway to their shoe tops — Mary Austin
overhauls and renewals which would undoubtedly have lengthened her life — F.W.Crofts
2.
a. obsolete : to eke out (provisions) : stretch
b. : to increase by diluting
standing by the counter lengthening out a short supply of wine — Charles Dickens
intransitive verb
: to grow longer
fall lengthened out into winter — Laura Krey
faces lengthened as the news became more certain
Synonyms: see extend