1
as in expansion
a wide space or area
a narrow stretch of beach below the cliffs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in space
an indefinite but usually short period of time
there was a cardinal at our bird feeder for a short stretch last spring
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
4
as in distance
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 & Similar Words
1
as in to exaggerate
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 & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
3
as in to lengthen
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 & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to try
to subject (a personal quality or faculty) to often excessive stress
your whining is stretching my patience to the limit
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in flexible
able to revert to original size and shape after being stretched, squeezed, or twisted
stretch fabrics that don't wrinkle or sag
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of stretch
Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
That critical stretch of Game 3 swung the Lakers’ postseason.
—Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Ava Berger, NPR, 6 May 2026
Hands stretched, twirling as if being spun about.
—‘pemi Aguda, Literary Hub, 6 May 2026
Malia Griggs, Glamour, 8 Apr. 2026
The Ribcage Wide-Leg jeans have a high-rise waist that’s right on trend, along with a leg-lengthening inseam and non-stretch denim that breaks in beautifully.
—Annie Blackman, InStyle, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stretch
Noun
Getting to face the lowly Orlando Magic, who themselves are in the middle of their own stretch of subpar play since Dwight Howard left the building more than a decade earlier.
—Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
That critical stretch of Game 3 swung the Lakers’ postseason.
—Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Verb
The addition of the new letter stretches across parts of Appalachia, from Baltimore to Southern Ohio, up to Michigan and all the way over to Washington state.
—Ava Berger, NPR, 6 May 2026
Hands stretched, twirling as if being spun about.
—‘pemi Aguda, Literary Hub, 6 May 2026
Adjective
The baggy straight-wide silhouette feels relaxed but still pulled together, with stretch denim and a drawstring waist for comfort.
—Malia Griggs, Glamour, 8 Apr. 2026
The Ribcage Wide-Leg jeans have a high-rise waist that’s right on trend, along with a leg-lengthening inseam and non-stretch denim that breaks in beautifully.
—Annie Blackman, InStyle, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stretch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stretch
Noun
-
In addition to the semi-private wait areas and a dedicated family lobby, the expansion also added five rooms designated for initial intake assessments and two dedicated procedure rooms.—
Imani Cruzen,
Twin Cities,
4 May 2026
-
Tarleton State’s Fort Worth expansion plans come as several other Texas universities have also set their sights on improving their presence in the city.—
Samuel O’Neal
May 4,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
It is fitted out with a teaching kitchen, a podcast-production space, a large classroom called the Democracy in Action Lab, and a recording studio.—
Peter Slevin,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Jay Blackman Jay Blackman is an NBC News producer covering such areas as transportation, space, medical and consumer issues.—
Jay Blackman,
NBC news,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Then the Solar System Dynamics Group at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory analyzes the objects that will come closest to Earth, using infrared-scanning telescopes such as NEOWISE to estimate the size of asteroids, especially darker ones that are difficult to see in the visible spectrum.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
10 May 2026
-
Iran’s political spectrum has long been divided, with its leaders clashing over state policies and varying approaches to the West.—
Mostafa Salem,
CNN Money,
9 May 2026
Noun
-
The juxtapositions of text and image, which strongly suggest the widening distance between mother and daughter, build in emotional and intellectual power over the film’s ninety-minute duration.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
-
When inside, Hattuta said everyone wears masks and keeps a safe distance from each other.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
This was borrowed directly from American sports reporters, with their propensity to exaggerate to make a point, often by citing absurd numbers.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Goldman Sachs’ David Mericle suggests this reading has perhaps been exaggerated.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The weeds can be pulled, hoed or treated with herbicides that permit use near trees.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 May 2026
-
The coach also pulled small groups of challenging students out of Lignore’s class to teach them social and emotional skills and helped Lignore make and consistently use behavior charts with her students.—
Stacker,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
If the company ticks a few remaining boxes, the drug could soon be on sale, kick-starting a new era of longevity medicine that could eventually also lengthen humans’ lives.—
Ross Andersen,
The Atlantic,
2 May 2026
-
Osceola County, currently contained entirely within District 9, will be chopped into two districts despite 9 being lengthened and extended well to the south.—
Ryan Gillespie,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
The suspect, 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, was charged with firearms offenses and trying to assassinate the president.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
5 May 2026
-
Officials are still trying to determine what happened aboard the ship, which commands fares of up to $28,845 for a 46-day journey that includes a tour of the Antarctica Peninsula and stops in Tierra del Fuego on the southern edge of Argentina.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stretch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stretch. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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