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
Only the Nationals, Rockies and Mets – New York’s other catastrophe – have been worse over that latter stretch. Gary Phillips, Hartford Courant, 11 Aug. 2025 And nine games in that stretch will be against teams that currently hold a playoff spot. Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 11 Aug. 2025
Verb
In Thursday’s 30-pitch session, Sale faced utility infielder Jonathan Ornelas and left-handed-hitting minor leaguer Eric Hartman as other Braves stretched and warmed up before batting practice. David O'Brien, New York Times, 8 Aug. 2025 Each morning, an Apres Sleep Cart is at your service, providing healing tinctures, stretch cards, and facial mists. Ronny Maye, Essence, 7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
And with plenty of outer compartments—including a stretch water bottle pocket—I’m not left rummaging around for my keys or passport at every turn. Siobhan Reid, Travel + Leisure, 30 May 2025 While solid state seems to be a bit of a stretch goal for the industry, Lee says his company is looking closely at an alternative to commonly used lithium-ion—an amalgam of nickel, cobalt and manganese, or NCM, as well as a lower nickel percentage version. Ed Garsten, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for stretch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stretch
Noun
  • As K-pop revs up its global expansion, one of the sleepers is the bubbly girl group STAYC, whose songs possess a fun-house exuberance (The Theatre at M.S.G.; Oct. 21).
    Shauna Lyon, New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2025
  • Tennessee's statewide expansion to its controversial voucher program included one-time $2,000 bonuses for teachers.
    Rachel Wegner, Nashville Tennessean, 15 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Also tidy up the space to remove any countertop clutter that could be making your home look unorganized.
    Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 12 Aug. 2025
  • It wasn’t designed for shelf space — it was designed for reverence.
    Sudhir Gupta, Rolling Stone, 12 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Even the lower end of that spectrum is considerably larger than the most lucrative contract the Cubs have dished out in team history (Jason Heyward $184 million).
    Zach Pressnell, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Aug. 2025
  • Over the week of campaign stops, a range of officials from across the Democratic political spectrum voiced their support for the candidate.
    Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 15 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • The elites of colonial society had to legislate difference in status, distance in proximity, and the alienation of affections between people of European, African and Indigenous ancestry.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2025
  • What's more, the planet apparently orbits at a distance from the star where temperatures might be cozy enough for life, according to a pair of reports accepted by The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
    Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR, 7 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Some politicians will always seek to exploit immigration anxieties, exaggerate problems, and spread misinformation.
    Alexander Kustov, Foreign Affairs, 12 Aug. 2025
  • While there are some potential side effects, people on social media exaggerate or misrepresent the risks.
    Katia Riddle, NPR, 11 Aug. 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
  • Bad hydrology is 'crushing' conservation measures As with other recent years, factors including warming air, parched soil and lengthening growing seasons have kept some of the melting snowpack from reaching the river or its reservoirs.
    Austin Corona, AZCentral.com, 15 Aug. 2025
  • Loyal also has both a shot and a pill in the works to lengthen large dogs’ short lifespans by limiting a growth hormone more prevalent in big dogs than small.
    Amy Feldman, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • For something that plays up the amber and warmth, try layering it with Maison Margiela Jazz Club underneath.
    Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 15 Aug. 2025
  • Democrats in the Texas state house have left the state to try to block the chamber from having enough members to hold a vote on the maps.
    Andrew Schneider, NPR, 15 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Stretch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stretch. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.

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