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
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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
as in to expand
to arrange the parts of (something) over a wider area
you can't stretch out your legs to the point where you're blocking the aisle
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in stretch
able to revert to original size and shape after being stretched, squeezed, or twisted
a stretchy hair band
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of stretch
Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 25 Apr. 2025
The thoracic rotation stretch can feel particularly soothing.
—Cindy Kuzma, SELF, 25 Apr. 2025
Shubham Yewale, PC Magazine, 23 Apr. 2025
Diaz will star opposite Miller, whose résumé stretches across stage and screen, and includes the FX show Impeachment: American Crime Story, Law & Order, as well as Prime Video’s Hand of God.
—Mikelle Street, Them., 23 Apr. 2025
Expert Panel®, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests aiming for 150 minutes a week, but even taking a 10-minute break from work to go on a walk, stretch, or do a quick HIIT workout can make a huge difference.
—Julia Ries, SELF, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stretch
Noun
The Cubs had an extended stretch in summer 2023 when Adbert Alzolay, Merryweather, Mark Leiter Jr. and Fulmer solidified the final three or four innings, but injuries and ineffectiveness set in by September, and the Cubs blew a wild-card spot, leading to Ross’ ouster.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 25 Apr. 2025
The thoracic rotation stretch can feel particularly soothing.
—Cindy Kuzma, SELF, 25 Apr. 2025
Verb
Snag a portable workspace without stretching your wallet: the Arzopa A1 portable monitor is just $70 on Amazon (a 33% discount sitting comfortably under the hundred-buck line).
—Shubham Yewale, PC Magazine, 23 Apr. 2025
Diaz will star opposite Miller, whose résumé stretches across stage and screen, and includes the FX show Impeachment: American Crime Story, Law & Order, as well as Prime Video’s Hand of God.
—Mikelle Street, Them., 23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
Take Breaks Throughout The Day Taking a pause every 50 minutes to relax, stretch, meditate or engage in something enjoyable has been a game-changer for me.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests aiming for 150 minutes a week, but even taking a 10-minute break from work to go on a walk, stretch, or do a quick HIIT workout can make a huge difference.
—Julia Ries, SELF, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stretch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stretch
Noun
-
Republicans have been remarkably cavalier about the impact of cutting the expansion match.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2025
-
Here are the seven golden rules that will help young marketers and business heads get global expansion right for their brands.—
Bhavesh Gupta,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The combination of humor, humility, and skill made Arya stand out in a space dominated by polished perfection.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2025
-
Will Stein, the offensive coordinator at Oregon under head coach Dan Lanning, runs a multiple spread offense that utilized Ferguson as a blocker, motion player, and receiver and aims to manipulate space in the passing game.—
Jourdan Rodrigue,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
At the other end of the spectrum, 16% of respondents spent more than $100,000 on renovation projects.—
Terri Williams,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
-
The idea here is a 3-and-D forward who can potentially be switchable and guard across the positional spectrum while also drilling 3s.—
Sam Vecenie,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
Noun
-
The lake is nine feet deep at a 35-foot distance from the shoreline, according to the university.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
People.com,
23 Apr. 2025
-
One of the most significant breakthroughs in diagnostics has been the shift toward bringing testing closer to people, reducing barriers like distance, time, and lack of privacy.—
Jennifer Lotito,
Forbes.com,
23 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
That’s much lower than in a lab-grade vacuum, yet across vast expanses of space, even very low particle densities can add up, so Barnard 68’s tenuous material is still enough to absorb essentially all the light that would otherwise just pass through.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
25 Apr. 2025
-
Spanning northwest New Jersey, the district is a mix of rural expanses with rolling hills and river towns, with dense urban pockets en route to New York.—
Savannah Kuchar,
USA Today,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
After trading zeroes for a while, Boston scored five runs in the seventh and eighth innings.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
3 May 2025
-
After the horse settled in, and stood for a while, Jordan finally backed him out.—
Dana O'Neil,
New York Times,
3 May 2025
Noun
-
The mower is designed with a five-blade steel head, which provides gentle yet clean scissor-like cuts, and features an adjustable cutting height range of 0.5-inch to 1.75 inches.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
3 May 2025
-
Trump has disrupted decades of American trade policies, including with key security allies like Japan, by imposing big import taxes on a wide range of products.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
3 May 2025
Noun
-
Such relentless rotations were a nightmare for Forest’s first-half 4-4-2 approach, unable to simultaneously cover the width of the full-backs and darting movements in midfield.—
Thom Harris,
New York Times,
29 Apr. 2025
-
The mature width of a hydrangea can range from 2 to 6 feet.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
25 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stretch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stretch. Accessed 7 May. 2025.
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