continue and extend share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. continue means “continue a certain state, condition, or activity”. extend means “extend in scope or range or area”. continue is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/kənˈtɪnju/
1.v.continue a certain state, condition, or activity
“Keep on working!”
2.v.continue talking
“`I know it's hard', he continued, `but there is no choice'”
3.v.keep or maintain in unaltered condition; cause to remain or last
“preserve the peace in the family”
/ɪkˈstɛnd/
1.v.extend in scope or range or area
“The law was extended to all citizens”
2.v.stretch out over a distance, space, time, or scope; run or extend between two points or beyond a certain point
“Service runs all the way to Cranbury”
3.v.span an interval of distance, space or time
“The war extended over five years”
| continue | extend | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /kənˈtɪnju/ | /ɪkˈstɛnd/ |
| Said | kuhn-TI-nyoo | ik-STEND |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Letters | 8 | 6 |
| Parts of speech | verb | verb |
| Senses | 10 | 17 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | go on, proceed, go along | widen, broaden |
Full entry for continue · Full entry for extend · More comparisons