stretch

1 a wide space or area <a narrow stretch of beach below the cliffs> Synonyms breadth, distance, expansion, extent, field, length, plain, reach, sheet, spread, expanse, wasteRelated Words domain, sphere, territory; compass, range, scope, sweep; gamut, scale, spectrum; depth, emptiness, void; extension, latitude, span; amplitude, immensity, magnitude

2 an indefinite but usually short period of time <there was a cardinal at our bird feeder for a short stretch last spring> Synonyms bit, space, spell, whileRelated Words lapse; season, span; day, epoch, era; beat, eyeblink, flash, heartbeat, instant, jiff, jiffy, minute, moment, nanosecond, New York minute, second, shake, split second, spurt, trice, twinkle, twinkling, wink; aeon (or eon), age, eternity, infinity, perpetuity; interim, interlude, intermission, interval

3 the distance or extent between possible extremes <the stories were written over a considerable stretch of time> Synonyms diapason, gamut, scale, spectrum, spread, rangeRelated Words measure, pitch, scale; ambit, amplitude, compass, dimension(s), extent, reach, realm, scope, sweep, width

4 the space or amount of space between two points, lines, surfaces, or objects <the longest stretch of the drive without any place to get gas> Synonyms lead, length, remove, spacing, spread, distance, wayRelated Words altitude, area, breadth, depth, height, rise, space, volume, width; extension, extent; cast, range, reach, scope, shot, sweep, throw; drop, fall, flight, haul; berth, clearance

1 to add to the interest of by including made-up details <it was stretching the truth to say she'd been in the movies: she was once an extra whose scene was cut in the final version> Synonyms color, elaborate (on), embellish, exaggerate, hyperbolize, magnify, pad, embroiderRelated Words dress up, gussy up; amplify, enhance, enlarge (on or upon), expand, flesh (out); fudge, hedge; overdo, overdraw, overemphasize, overplay, overstate; emphasize, play up, stress; caricature; satirizeNear Antonyms belittle, minimize, play down, understate

2 to injure by overuse, misuse, or pressure <I stretched a back muscle, and the pain is killing me> Synonyms pull, rack, strain, wrenchRelated Words fray, tax, weaken; damage, harm, hurt, impair, wound; batter, bruise, tear; cripple, lame, mangle, mutilate

3 to make longer <the time it would take to fix the car got stretched from three hours to two days when the part we needed had to be ordered> Synonyms drag (out), draw out, elongate, lengthen, outstretch, prolong, protract, extendRelated Words amplify, enlarge, expand, increase; attenuate, thinNear Antonyms decrease, diminish, lessen, reduce; thickenAntonyms abbreviate, abridge, curtail, cut, cut back, shorten

4 to subject (a personal quality or faculty) to often excessive stress <your whining is stretching my patience to the limit> Synonyms strain, try, tax, testRelated Words demand, exact, importune, press, pressure, push; aggravate, agitate, annoy, bother, exasperate, gall, get (to), gnaw (at), grate, harass, harry, hassle, irk, irritate, nettle, pain, peeve, pester, rile, spite, vex

5 to draw tight <if the canvas isn't properly stretched over the frame, there will be sagging over time> Synonyms strain, tighten, tauten, tenseRelated Words elongate, extend, lengthen; cinch, constrictNear Antonyms ease, relaxAntonyms loosen, slack, slacken