stretch 1 of 3

stretch

2 of 3

verb

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in to pull
to injure by overuse, misuse, or pressure I stretched a back muscle, and the pain is killing me

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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

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4
5
as in to tighten
to draw tight if the canvas isn't properly stretched over the frame, there will be sagging over time

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

stretch

3 of 3

adjective

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of stretch
Noun
Additionally, nurses can also buy a dozen donuts and get six donuts free in that stretch. Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 6 May 2025 For a long stretch of Monday’s matchup between the two teams, the script looked familiar. Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 6 May 2025
Verb
The apprehensions reported in February, March and April are the lowest tallies recorded by the Border Patrol in its public monthly dataset, which stretches back to fiscal year 2000. Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 1 May 2025 The sculpture based on a zither—an instrument with strings stretched across a flat box—is a slanted trapezoid with strings running down its back. Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 May 2025
Adjective
But farther up Doheny, a black sea of stretch limos and town cars flowed in and out of another, bigger, more raucous post-Oscar blowout still in full swing. Scott Huver, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Feb. 2025 Additionally, Korkmaz said stretch fabrics are making a strong comeback, reminiscent of the early 2000s, but reimagined with current technology. Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 5 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for stretch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stretch
Noun
  • New York’s expansive use of eminent domain needed and still needs reining in, not expansion.
    New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 11 May 2025
  • The explosions in Amritsar - the first heard there in the three-day-old conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbors - could mark a further expansion in the hostilities that have alarmed world powers.
    USA Today, USA Today, 11 May 2025
Noun
  • Because it’s raised, there’s plenty of space underneath to stash boxes of extra linens and out-of-season clothes.
    Shea Simmons, Southern Living, 8 May 2025
  • The structure has nearly 3,000 feet of balcony space, from which the 6,271 people lucky enough to score an invite to one of this year’s 36 suites can get an unobstructed view of the start and finish lines.
    Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 8 May 2025
Noun
  • But that can really coexist on both sides of the political spectrum.
    Sean Illing, Vox, 12 May 2025
  • Fans have interpreted Murderbot as asexual, gender-fluid and on the autism spectrum.
    Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 12 May 2025
Noun
  • The tough colt had nothing — not the distance, not the mud, no challenger — bothering him.
    Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 4 May 2025
  • The post was a joke, and perhaps an effective one, maximizing the distance between Studio Ghibli’s tender, bittersweet, profoundly human ethos and the gleeful, dehumanizing viciousness that is Trump’s stock-in-trade.
    Jia Tolentino, New Yorker, 3 May 2025
Verb
  • Coffey seemed to exaggerate it, throwing her hands up while going down.
    Fernando Ramirez, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 May 2025
  • The movie exaggerates the struggles Scaravella faced.
    Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 9 May 2025
Verb
  • Brands began to pull together resources to support refugees.
    Stephan Rabimov, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2023
  • The 13-minute performance will likely call for a healthy dose of vibrant, colored lighting to pull it all together.
    Kelly Allen, House Beautiful, 10 Feb. 2023
Verb
  • Improves Flexibility and Balance Traditional stretches typically involve moving or holding certain body parts in place to lengthen muscle fibers, which is a way to warm up the body.
    Cristina Mutchler, Verywell Health, 8 May 2025
  • Brown mascara is gaining traction for its ability to awaken the eyes and lengthen lashes subtly, without the harshness of a traditional black.
    Kiana Murden, Vogue, 1 May 2025
Verb
  • Boldly trying new recipes for dinner though neither knows how to cook.
    Lauren Villagran, USA Today, 12 May 2025
  • Some were persecuted and even killed for trying to spread their religious beliefs.
    Luis Andres Henao, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Stretch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stretch. Accessed 16 May. 2025.

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