1
as in to extend
to arrange the parts of (something) over a wider area
the dog had outstretched his legs and was lying across the width of the doorway
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to lengthen
to make longer
having outstretched our lunch break beyond all reason, we reluctantly headed back to work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of outstretch
The component sounds of Spanish words, cut down to two vowels and four consonants, are conveyed by whistling, the trick being to curl your fingers against your mouth with one finger outstretched, as if your hand were a gun.
—
Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2020
And that’s Bell jogging in to score the winning run with both arms outstretched over his head to give the Diamondbacks their only world championship.
—Paul Gattis | Pgattis@al.com, al, 10 Jan. 2020
As Congress applauded the line, Pelosi stood, outstretched her arms, and clapped slowly and deliberately, as if the clap was more in jest than sincerity.
—Kalhan Rosenblatt, NBC News, 23 Dec. 2019
While kicking around a soccer ball, the little princess took a few breaks to balance on one leg with her arms outstretched above her head.
—Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE.com, 26 Nov. 2019
See All Example Sentences for outstretch
Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 28 Feb. 2020
And that’s Bell jogging in to score the winning run with both arms outstretched over his head to give the Diamondbacks their only world championship.
—Paul Gattis | Pgattis@al.com, al, 10 Jan. 2020
As Congress applauded the line, Pelosi stood, outstretched her arms, and clapped slowly and deliberately, as if the clap was more in jest than sincerity.
—Kalhan Rosenblatt, NBC News, 23 Dec. 2019
While kicking around a soccer ball, the little princess took a few breaks to balance on one leg with her arms outstretched above her head.
—Stephanie Petit, PEOPLE.com, 26 Nov. 2019
See All Example Sentences for outstretch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outstretch
Verb
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The urgency to extend Kempe is magnified by the reality of losing the great Anze Kopitar after this season.—
Pierre LeBrun,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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The most popular route covers 13 miles one-way to the Paria River, though ambitious hikers can extend the journey to 21 miles by continuing downstream through Paria Canyon.—
Jacqueline Kehoe,
AFAR Media,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Each year, the mining site crept farther south as deposits dwindled, lengthening her father’s commute.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Oct. 2025
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If the commitment is too large, the two governments can look for workarounds, such as lengthening the period of performance, contributing to the investment fund project by project, or credit recent Korean investments.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
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By platforming industry experts and passionate entrepreneurs, Ducard is helping Pinterest expand into new arenas.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Following its successful launch earlier this year, Virtuosa — the vintage-nodding, heirloom-like collection which introduced the precious and durable platinum among Atelier VM’s metals — is expanded to earrings and a couple of necklaces including a light point.—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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More are expected to follow as the shutdown stretches into its second week, with no clear end in sight.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
12 Oct. 2025
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Bassitt, Schneider said, is stretched out enough to pitch in short bursts or log four to five innings.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Although Brandon Aiyuk became eligible in Week 5 to come off the Physically Unable To Perform list, the 49ers have yet to open his practice window.—
Cam Inman,
Mercury News,
17 Oct. 2025
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The emergency center had originally opened in the Port-au-Prince neighborhood of Martissant in 2006, but was forced to move to Turgeau in 2021 for security reasons.—
NPR,
NPR,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Thus, even if a farmer primarily relied on corn for sustenance and/or trade, planting beans and squash alongside the maize increased the nutritive value of the same area.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
14 Oct. 2025
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The alliance should also increase its training with an eye toward degrading or destroying the Kaliningrad facilities should direct hostilities break out.—
James Stavridis,
Twin Cities,
13 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Outstretch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outstretch. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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