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
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
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of stretch
Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 11 June 2025
Representation may also be inspiring greater acceptance in this rural stretch of Colorado.
—Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 11 June 2025
Paul Tenorio, New York Times, 11 June 2025
However, showing up unexpected is harder on the host, who will now have to stretch his four-bean stew to five guests.
—Judith Martin, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 June 2025
Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 28 Apr. 2025
The reality is, high performers thrive on stretch goals.
—Mark Murphy, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stretch
Noun
Marsch will need a possible starter to be locked in for longer stretches.
—Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 11 June 2025
Representation may also be inspiring greater acceptance in this rural stretch of Colorado.
—Tiney Ricciardi, Denver Post, 11 June 2025
Verb
The lessons were plentiful on Tuesday – and the reverberations need to stretch well beyond the next few weeks in the Gold Cup.
—Paul Tenorio, New York Times, 11 June 2025
However, showing up unexpected is harder on the host, who will now have to stretch his four-bean stew to five guests.
—Judith Martin, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 June 2025
Adjective
The following year Turkish mill Bossa launched Endless Blue, a line of stretch denim fabrics made with the regenerated cellulose fiber.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 28 Apr. 2025
The reality is, high performers thrive on stretch goals.
—Mark Murphy, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for stretch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stretch
Noun
-
The 54-year-old already was overseeing a $60 billion expansion of the parks business before Abu Dhabi — Disney’s first new park since 2016 — was announced in May.—
Peter Kiefer,
HollywoodReporter,
4 June 2025
-
The two-story, 135,000-square-foot expansion, designed by Generator Studio, will double the size of the facility and is expected to bring up to 1.5 million people through its doors annually, according to team estimates.—
Phil Thompson,
Chicago Tribune,
4 June 2025
Noun
-
Give ample space to large vehicles - Trucks or buses can create a water spray that diminishes visibility.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
14 June 2025
-
Riz Ahmed is carving out a niche in the action-thriller space.—
Samantha Bergeson,
IndieWire,
13 June 2025
Noun
-
Finally, jamming-resistant links need spectrum licences, custom SIM provisioning, or pirate base-stations smuggled in-country.—
Harry Law,
Time,
5 June 2025
-
The most common color for auroras is green, as the human eye is most sensitive to green in the visible color spectrum.—
Kenna Hughes-Castleberry,
Space.com,
5 June 2025
Noun
-
Keep a distance from tall, solitary trees or other elevated structures.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
9 June 2025
-
The difference is as vast as the straight-line distance of 6,882 miles between Pittsburgh and the Eagles’ home in Daejeon, South Korea.—
Chuck Murr,
Forbes.com,
9 June 2025
Adjective
-
Everything has to be centred on them, perhaps with a flexible back three with three attacking midfielders: Havertz as a false nine, Musiala half left, Wirtz half right.—
Philipp Lahm,
New York Times,
6 June 2025
-
The spacious, luminous cabin measures 800 cubic feet with a 6-foot-5-inch ceiling, comfortably accommodating four or more passengers in a luxurious, flexible layout.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
5 June 2025
Noun
-
Old-timers have stopped over the last two days to sit and lay in the wispy tall grass, in the expanse of its shadow.—
Brendan Quinn,
New York Times,
14 June 2025
-
Who can gaze into that great expanse and not contemplate such things as infinity or Earth’s relevance to the cosmos?—
Ernie Cowan,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 June 2025
Noun
-
For a while, home video propped up Hollywood’s bottom line and paid for its risks.—
Andy Lewis,
HollywoodReporter,
7 June 2025
-
For a while, slick shoes didn't quite get off the ground after his breakout roles in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) and The Goonies.—
Sarah Weldon,
EW.com,
7 June 2025
Noun
-
At O’Neill Burke’s request, Cook County Chief Judge Tim Evans granted her prosecutors rapid access to a far broader range of records on criminal defendants than had long been the case.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
8 June 2025
-
That Apple can support the M1 chipset some five years down the line and bring the full range of new tools, including the latest generative AI suite, should not come as a surprise.—
Ewan Spence,
Forbes.com,
8 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stretch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stretch. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.
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