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.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of stretch
Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
Loops 101 and 202 will see stretches closed or lanes narrowed, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 19 Oct. 2025
The protests came as the federal government shutdown stretched into a third week.
—Stephanie Murray, AZCentral.com, 18 Oct. 2025
Afdhel Aziz, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
The collection includes the straight-leg Teddy in rigid and stretch fabrics; the ’90s inspired Gus with a relaxed and slouchy fit; the Jackson, a barrel-leg jean with a V-waist; the Kyle, a stretch flare; and the Leo, a straight-meets-barrel silhouette with a high rise.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stretch
Noun
George has been in solitary confinement for long stretches of time and, by all accounts, has been horribly mistreated.
—Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Oct. 2025
Loops 101 and 202 will see stretches closed or lanes narrowed, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 17 Oct. 2025
Verb
In 2006–07 fundraising and deployment cycles, firms rushed to put money to work and paid increasingly high prices, stretching valuations.
—Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 19 Oct. 2025
The protests came as the federal government shutdown stretched into a third week.
—Stephanie Murray, AZCentral.com, 18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Two years ago, the Foundation set a stretch goal to raise half of its revenue inside India through CSR; the team reached it in two years.
—Afdhel Aziz, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
The collection includes the straight-leg Teddy in rigid and stretch fabrics; the ’90s inspired Gus with a relaxed and slouchy fit; the Jackson, a barrel-leg jean with a V-waist; the Kyle, a stretch flare; and the Leo, a straight-meets-barrel silhouette with a high rise.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stretch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stretch
Noun
-
Traditionally, expansion announcements come at the main December owners meeting.—
Pierre LeBrun,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Equity funding supports long-term innovation and expansion, while growth debt offers flexible capital for scaling operations efficiently.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Flexible, adaptable, and capable of navigating spaces once unreachable, these robots are designed to move like living organisms, transforming how doctors perform surgeries or how engineers inspect machinery.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Oct. 2025
-
With Newcastle an incredibly disciplined side, Trossard was caught on the ball in a dangerous position in front of his defenders at one point, but the aim seemed to be to have him in a free role that would create space for other players out wide.—
Art de Roché,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The list recognizes a thriving segment of the entertainment industry that includes storytellers across the religious spectrum who are offering up compelling and creative experiences featuring faith and spirituality for broad audiences.—
Variety Staff,
Variety,
14 Oct. 2025
-
On the other end of the spectrum was North Dakota, which was ranked the worst state for hiking on the list.—
Kristine Hansen,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
There were three distance options -- 20, 50 and 100 kilometers -- that led riders north up in and around the Bella Vista area before bringing them back to downtown Bentonville.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
17 Oct. 2025
-
The Golden State Warriors are now a good distance above the rest of the league, thanks largely to the favorable economics of their arena.—
Eben Novy-Williams,
Sportico.com,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Machado also pushed back on suggestions that Venezuela’s role in drug trafficking had been exaggerated to support the argument of those calling for regime change.—
Billy Stockwell,
CNN Money,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Blazy exaggerated the frayed hems that Coco Chanel loved into ragged edges by letting the cloth be overtaken slowly with tiny hanging strings of beads.—
Nathan Heller,
Vogue,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
And still, Payton pulled a win from where the Denver sun doesn’t shine, throwing everything in his kitchen sink and then some at the Giants in a 33-point fourth quarter.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
20 Oct. 2025
-
The Niners on those seven or eight power plays were pulling right guard Dominick Puni.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Each year, the mining site crept farther south as deposits dwindled, lengthening her father’s commute.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Oct. 2025
-
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
-
But Delhi will continue to try to thread the needle between these concerns and its desire to forge closer regional partnerships at Pakistan’s expense.—
Happymon Jacob,
Time,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Led by Zurich, played by Trevor Jackson, the group is pushed to their mental and physical limits while trying to maintain their grades, relationships, and sense of self.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
16 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stretch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stretch. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share