cover and extend share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. cover means “provide with a covering or cause to be covered”. extend means “extend in scope or range or area”. cover is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈkʌvɚ/
1.v.provide with a covering or cause to be covered
“cover her face with a handkerchief”
2.v.form a cover over
“The grass covered the grave”
3.v.span an interval of distance, space or time
“The war extended over five years”
/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”
| cover | extend | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈkʌvɚ/ | /ɪkˈstɛnd/ |
| Said | KUHV-ur | ik-STEND |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Letters | 5 | 6 |
| Parts of speech | verb, noun | verb |
| Senses | 36 | 17 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | none recorded | widen, broaden |
Full entry for cover · Full entry for extend · More comparisons