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