outstretched 1 of 2

adjective

as in extensive

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outstretched

2 of 2

verb

past tense of outstretch
1
as in extended
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lengthened
to make longer having outstretched our lunch break beyond all reason, we reluctantly headed back to work

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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 outstretched
Adjective
There was an element of slapstick about Bournemouth’s second, with Justin Kluivert’s strike bouncing off the post and Lukas Hornicek’s before Scott’s follow-up cross looped agonisingly into the net off the outstretched foot of Malick Thiaw. — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2026 No, the quintessential Townshend power sign was his giant circular windmill strum, arm outstretched and twirling, gathering centrifugal force to slam that pick up through the guitar strings, creating the loudest chord humanly possible. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026 The ring of material surrounding Sgr A* would be about four degrees across—about half the apparent size of your outstretched fist. — Phil Plait, Scientific American, 4 Sep. 2026 At the top of the collection of hands — like the Hollywood sign resting atop Mount Lee or Simba being held high from the outstretched arms of Rafiki — were two footballs. — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 4 Sep. 2026 Instead, fans approached White with smiles and respect and outstretched arms for handshakes and fist bumps. — Patricia Babcock McGraw Outkick, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026 The striking bronze sculpture depicts an outstretched arm reaching to the sky as hundreds of small human figures cling to it and each other with expressions of agony. — Lauren Costantino, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2026 Purdy later got intercepted by safety Marques Sigle on a high pass deflected by Demarcus Robinson’s outstretched hand. — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 25 Aug. 2026 Dart threw a pass too far for Beckham to haul in with his outstretched fingers over the middle during Monday’s practice, and the QB later walked over to OBJ to talk briefly. — Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 24 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for outstretched
  1. extensive
  2. extended
  3. lengthened
  4. far-reaching
  5. expanded
  6. stretched
  7. longish
  8. opened
Adjective
  • All require extensive discussion which would bring up a multitude of additional questions.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Fault-tolerant machines require extensive error correction, which adds more hardware and control requirements.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of extensive
Verb
  • Last month, the 26-year-old forward extended his contract, despite strong interest from Arsenal.
    — Dermot Corrigan, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The Americans held off Italy for a 55-52 victory that extended their World Cup winning streak to 32 games.
    — Michael Cunningham, AJC.com, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of extended
Verb
  • The piece was based on a recent study from UCLA that found that waiting times for surgery for nonmetastatic breast, colon, lung, pancreatic, gastric and esophageal cancer have lengthened across the board over the last 10 years or so.
    — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Its researchers later lengthened its legs to almost 3½ feet ahead of the games, according to broadcaster CCTV.
    — Reuters, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of lengthened
Adjective
  • Overfertilization is a common problem that has far-reaching adverse environmental effects, from groundwater contamination to degradation of waterways.
    — Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The motion appears to be the first time the government has weighed in on novel issues raised by the tech that could have far-reaching implications on news and music publishers and studios in a series of cases against AI companies.
    — Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of far-reaching
Verb
  • More Great Living Stories From Vogue The Vogue Runway app has expanded!
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The survey found that voters favored a generic Democratic candidate for Congress over a Republican 46% to 40%, but the Democratic advantage expanded to 11 points among those who definitely plan to vote.
    — Zac Anderson, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of expanded
Verb
  • While the main festival was in Grant Park, entry locations for riders stretched all the way to the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry on the South Side.
    — Finnegan Belleau, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
  • But as hours stretched into days with no word from them, his hope turned to sorrow.
    — Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of stretched
Adjective
  • The errand conveniently provided the opportunity for a longish highway test of Lexus’ newest luxury people-mover.
    — Sponsored Content, Denver Post, 21 Mar. 2026
  • When the front door opens, they’re greeted by an androgynous person with longish hair, thick eyebrows and a deep voice.
    — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 2 Aug. 2025
Definition of longish
Verb
  • With a runner at second, Patrick Bailey opened the 10th with a single off Kyle Finnegan (3-1).
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Located in a free trade zone on the outskirts of Lagos, the Dangote Refinery opened two years ago and has become the main supplier of fuels to the Nigerian market, as well as a jet fuel exporter to Europe.
    — Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of opened

Browse Nearby Words

outstretch
outstretched
outstretches
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Cite this Entry

“Outstretched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/outstretched. Accessed 10 Sep. 2026.

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